Smash - Ultimate
by JCeetra1998
Summary: Their worlds were separate, but now they come together. This comes at a dire cost - they will merge until they consume one another. Can our heroes rescue the worlds they know and love, or will evil once again take over their realms?
1. Before You Read

Hello everyone! Thanks for joining me.

Because of the nature of Super Smash Bros, including characters from various Nintendo, Capcom, Sega, Bandai-Namco, and other universes containing tens to hundreds of games each, I want to put a short disclaimer at the start here.

Most characters from Super Smash Bros Ultimate will be appearing in this story in some form. This means that many of the games these characters hail from will be either referenced or visited at some point in the story.

If you don't care about spoilers to games, then feel free to skip to the Prelude, as you'll be unfazed by anything I send your way; but be aware that I will be making mention of game- and universe- specific dialects, creatures, peoples, characters, and environments. It will be easier to understand everything if you've played or are familiar with the universes and games included.

So as not to spoil when characters show up or even who in particular is making it, I've decided to compile a list of all the games that I'm planning to spoil rotten (or at least provide background information on). To play it safe, I recommend that if there's a game on this list that you want no spoilers for, either play the game or watch a playthrough first. And yes, some of these will have endings and complete plots totally spoiled. I just want everyone that comes through here to recognize this.

Other than that, enjoy the story!

 _Super Mario Bros_

 _Super Mario Bros 3_

 _Super Mario World_

 _Super Mario 64_

 _Super Mario Sunshine_

 _Super Mario Galaxy_

 _Super Mario Galaxy 2_

 _Super Mario 3D World_

 _Luigi's Mansion_

 _Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon_

 _Super Princess Peach_

 _Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time_

 _Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story_

 _Mario and Luigi: Dream Team_

 _Donkey Kong Country_

 _Donkey Kong Country Returns_

 _Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze_

 _The Legend of Zelda_

 _The Legend of Zelda II_

 _The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds_

 _The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time_

 _The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask_

 _The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker_

 _The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass_

 _The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess_

 _The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword_

 _The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild_

 _Hyrule Warriors_

 _Metroid Zero Mission_

 _Metroid II: Samus Returns_

 _Super Metroid_

 _Metroid Fusion_

 _Metroid Prime_

 _Metroid Prime 2: Echoes_

 _Metroid Prime 3: Corruption_

 _Kirby Super Star Ultra_

 _Kirby 64_

 _Kirby's Air Ride_

 _Kirby's Return to Dream Land_

 _Kirby's Epic Yarn_

 _Kirby Star Allies_

 _Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island_

 _Yoshi's Story_

 _Yoshi's Island DS_

 _Yoshi's New Island_

 _Yoshi's Wooly World_

 _Star Fox 64_

 _Star Fox: Assault_

 _Star Fox: Command_

 _Star Fox Zero_

 _Pokemon Red and Blue_

 _Pokemon Gold and Silver_

 _Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire_

 _Pokemon Diamond and Pearl_

 _Pokemon Black and White_

 _Pokemon Black 2 and White 2_

 _Pokemon X and Y_

 _Pokemon Sun and Moon_

 _Earthbound_

 _Mother 3_

 _F-Zero_

 _Ice Climbers_

 _Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light_

 _Fire Emblem: Echoes – Shadows of Valentia_

 _Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade_

 _Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn_

 _Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance_

 _Fire Emblem: Awakening_

 _Fire Emblem: Fates_

 _Kid Icarus_

 _Kid Icarus: Uprising_

 _WarioWare Gold_

 _Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake_

 _Metal Gear Solid_

 _Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty_

 _Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater_

 _Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots_

 _Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes_

 _Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain_

 _Sonic the Hedgehog 2_

 _Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles_

 _Sonic Adventure_

 _Sonic Adventure 2_

 _Sonic Heroes_

 _Sonic '06_

 _Sonic Unleashed_

 _Sonic Colors_

 _Sonic Generations_

 _Sonic Lost World_

 _Sonic Forces_

 _Pikmin_

 _Pikmin 2_

 _Pikmin 3_

 _Animal Crossing: New Leaf_

 _Mega Man_

 _Mega Man 2_

 _Mega Man 5_

 _Mega Man X_

 _Mega Man and Bass_

 _Punch-Out! (NES)_

 _Punch-Out! (Wii)_

 _PAC-MAN_

 _PAC-MAN World_

 _Xenoblade Chronicles_

 _Xenoblade Chronicles X_

 _Xenoblade Chronicles 2_

 _Xenosaga Episode 1_

 _Xenosaga Episode 2_

 _Xenosaga Episode 3_

 _Xenogears_

 _Street Fighter_

 _Street Fighter 2_

 _Street Fighter 3_

 _Street Fighter 4_

 _Street Fighter 5_

 _Final Fantasy VII_

 _Bayonetta_

 _Bayonetta 2_

 _Splatoon_

 _Splatoon 2_

 _Castlevania_

 _Castlevania II: Simon's Quest_

 _Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse_

 _Super Castlevania IV_

 _Castlevania: Rondo of Blood_

 _Castlevania: Symphony of the Night_


	2. Prelude - The Portal Opens

Finally.

After all these years of research, I have finally made a historical breakthrough.

My hands shake steadily as the magic flows out from them. The violet light that envelops the room gets the attention of a few creatures outside. I hear them attacking the door, but I simply ignore it. They can't get in the way of this discovery.

I was looking for ways to travel through time. I could feel that I had done it before, but I had no recollection of such events. I desperately needed the travel to ensure my success – he would certainly triumph if I didn't find out soon. Instead, I stumbled upon this.

I pressure my blood further. The magic flowing through me extends further outward. My brain hurts, but it's durable. I can always regenerate it later. This will get done. It was only temporary in previous trials, but this time, I must make it permanent.

The room is getting hot now. I can feel the grip of the heat fighting the cold darkness emanating from my fingertips. Suddenly, I feel a presence. Nowhere near me, I find – it's truly odd. It feels… almost distant. Extremely distant, and yet, it feels familiar. I can't quite place it.

No sooner do I feel this presence than the magic begins to be siphoned from my being. I can feel it. Something begins to take my magic for itself! I attempt to cut off whatever is happening, but it's too late. They've got a tight hold on me.

Suddenly, I am released. I fall forward, panting. Before me, I see a dark circle, surrounded by a glowing pale-purple border, swirling around the structure. It appears completely two-dimensional. I'm stunned. I hadn't been able to keep a portal stable like this until now. I feel my magic returning to me, almost as if the portal began to grant my strength back. It's corporeal now.

"And just what were you thinking?" asked a voice. It was unlike one I had ever heard. From the portal, perhaps?

"If your idea of a good time is stealing someone's magic, I must say it's quite a pity of a hobby." That voice again. I might as well respond.

"Heh. Playing games with me is asking to die."

"Oh? So you're the big-headed type? Shame."

"It was you siphoning my magic, not the other way around. Show yourself, fiend!"

"I beg to differ, big boy. I didn't think mortals could contain power such as yours."

A figure steps through the portal. A tall, purple-skinned figure with wild hair and little in the way of clothing appears before me.

"You don't look the part," I say.

"And you do?" the man retorts.

"Your voice… it sounds nothing like you look."

The man's face attains a bit of a greenish hue, what I interpret as his species' version of a blush. He… posed in a very strange way.

"Oh, do you like it? You think it's fabulous?" he asks.

"You're a character," I respond.

"Pity. I must say, you're a bit on the disappointing side, yourself. I didn't imagine a being that nearly matches my power could be as boring as you."

"Might I ask who you are? And what are you doing here?"

The man smiles. It's clear he's been waiting for me to ask this the whole time.

"Well… I find it strange that this is where I ended up. That wasn't my intent. And based on your reaction, you didn't want to go where I come from either."

He motions towards the portal. I hesitate, but his insistence is difficult to overcome. I take a step through. On the other side, I see a vast canyon filled with glowing blue crystals, reaching heights and depths that Hyrule had never seen before. It was a truly magnificent sight.

"N… No, I didn't intend on coming here," I stammer, trying to get the words out.

"The City of Souls. When people die, they congregate here in soul form. The intent is to find their eternal resting place, but…"

"What?" I ask.

"I've been at war with these goddesses, and there's this kid that keeps getting in the way."

I grin. "I feel your pain. I constantly need to keep on top of things because my plans are always foiled by some… boy."

"Oh?" The man turns to me with a massive grin on his face. Suddenly I feel slightly worried. Did he have a great idea, or is he going to harm me in some way? To him, those might not be mutually exclusive, but there's no way to know.

"Hades," I hear him say. He reaches his hand out to me.

"Uh… Ganondorf," I respond. I take his hand and shake it.

"Say… what made you want to open a portal in the first place?" Hades asks me.

"I started by trying to travel through time, but I found a short-range teleport…"

"Ah. I was attempting a short-range teleport as well."

We look at each other with puzzling looks.

"You're a god," I start, "aren't you?"

"That's what I thought," he replies. I should be capable of anything. So what could case something of this nature?"

There's a brief pause between us before a voice cuts both of us off.

"Gentlemen."

We turn to look towards the portal. Suddenly, a third figure stood before us.

"I believe that our time has come."


	3. Chapter 1 - The Legends of Zelda

"…"

"Link…"

"Link!"

Link snaps awake. He jolts upward, hitting his head on the far-too-low ceiling. He swears he needs to get that raised. His bed needed an update, too. This most recent adventure of his was cut short, and his room in the castle wasn't fully prepared yet. He decided that he'd add these few concerns to the to-do list.

"Liiiinnnnk!" Zelda's voice, definitely. Link isn't quite sure what she wants, but he knows that if he doesn't get downstairs quick, he'll never hear the end of it. He quickly assembles some clothes and runs down his tower.

Hyrule had become very quiet after the mysterious disappearance of Ganondorf. Despite intelligence quickly pinpointing his location in the Arbiter's Grounds in Gerudo, he and his monsters suddenly disappeared, leaving Hyrule in a state of peace untold of in history texts. The castle had finally been restored from the Calamity a few centuries before. The economy and relations between the Zora, Gorons, Gerudo, Rito, and Hylians is the strongest in recorded history. Technology is beginning to take off, too – mysterious materials had been discovered in the Gerudo Canyon where the Guardians were once kept, leading to a technology boom that hadn't yet been seen in Hyrule.

"There you are, lazy bones!" Zelda says. "We've been waiting for you!"

"Sometimes I wonder about you, Link," Impa says.

"Give me a break! So what if I enjoy sleeping?" Link says.

"That's no way a future king of Hyrule should live," Impa says to him. "You must be up and at them!"

"Impa," Zelda starts, "cut him some slack. He's not the Hero of Wilds you desperately cling to. I'm sure that hero had his problems, didn't he?"

"Ah, yes…" Impa recollects. "The Hero of Wilds was quite the glutton, the records show. He would eat and eat and eat, as I recall. I remember hearing stories that your great, great, great, great, great grandmother constantly needed the castle pantries fully stocked for him! Why, I read just the other day…"

Link trails off a bit as Impa recollects. The table appears to be covered in scrumptious food; the best in the land, from the looks of it. Seafood from Lurelin Village. The best meats from the forests of Akkala. Chilled drinks made famous by the Rito. Fruit plates from Faron. Vegetable dishes from Lanayru. It was all here.

"Link, are you even listening to me?" Impa accuses.

"I know I'm not perfect!" Link outbursts. "I try my best, though!"

Impa gives Link a look that says, "I know, it's fine, I understand," but that's not how she follows up. "You need to learn how to be a royal, Link, if you're ever to be Hyrule's king."

"With that…" Zelda interjects, "Link. You might be wondering why I called for Impa here today."

"Now that you mention it… if Impa's here, it's usually during the later hours of the day. Why is she here so early today?"

Impa answers before Zelda has a chance to. "I sensed a disturbance in the desert as of recent. A magical disturbance."

Link looks visibly shaken. Could the demon king have returned? It wouldn't be too far-fetched, as the demon king told in legends never tires or gives up, but still…

"Could you go into more detail, Impa?" Zelda asks.

"I haven't been to the desert myself, your highness," Impa says. As such, I cannot say. Besides, you'd be much better at making a magical observation than I."

"I think we should go, Zelda," Link says. "If there's even a chance of Ganon's return, we can't take it. We have to go."

Impa is slightly shocked at Link's quick response, but nods in approval nonetheless. Both Link and Impa look at Zelda, who looks down for a moment. She brings her head back up to look at them.

"Very well. We set out at first light tomorrow. We can't let anything happen again. Hyrule as it is now is the most prosperous and peaceful it's ever been. It cannot fall again. I won't allow it."

"As you wish, your highness," Impa says.

"I'll be sure to be up for it," Link says.

There's some light chatter before everyone splits up for the day. Zelda must attend to ruling matters. Impa must return to Kakariko Village to retrieve some ancient texts that may assist in decoding what may have gone down in the desert. Link is in charge of selecting the escort detail from the castle guard.

At first light, Link and Zelda begin the march upon their horses. Epona, Link's horse, is famous for being the fastest in the land; though she will not be riding at those speeds today. Ember, Zelda's horse, is outfitted with some of the latest Sheikah gear, built to protect its rider at all costs. With them are a hundred of Hyrule's best soldiers, and for the first time, Hyrule's escort detail is multicultural – made up of Hylians, Gorons, and Rito alike. The Zora recruits requested to stay, as the dry nature of Gerudo would not agree with their need for water. Link, kindhearted as ever, obliged. The Gerudo portion of the detail scouted a hundred yards ahead of the rest, prepared to face threats head-on. The Yiga Clan of old still lingered, but luckily, it had finally been contained to Gerudo. Unfortunately for those on this trip, that meant they may need to deal with them.

Impa and her detail of Sheikah soldiers meets Link and Zelda at the mouth of the Valley. The Gerudo Valley is a long, winding path that seems to lead to nowhere at times. The high rock plateaus that make up the walls seem unscalable, and the few water sources that exist are spread thin. The constant threat of Yiga Clan attacks make this region a stressful region to trek through. Thankfully, the walls produce large shadows, making the canyon itself bearable temperature-wise.

Link, Zelda, Impa, and their soldiers make it through the valley with no Yiga Clan intrusions. Their base of operations is to the north end of the desert, meaning they'd likely experience no issues with them here on.

The Gerudo Desert is polar opposite to the valley that leads into it. Where the valley is confined, the desert opens up into miles and miles of open dunes. The heat of the sun beats down on anything that moves, and the sand reflects the heat upwards. The canyon walls are no help here. Dryer than the canyon, the desert had claimed more than a few Hylians and Rito in its time. Gorons and Gerudo fared better, but ultimately, it's known as the second-most lethal region in Hyrule after Death Mountain. And the Arbiter's Grounds are a long ride from the mouth of the canyon.

With Gerudo Town being sexist as it is, the group stocks up on supplies before leaving the canyon. The group waits until nightfall to reduce the temperature in the desert in hopes of beating out the weather.

At nightfall, the entourage continues onward. It's a very long ride, through the barren wastelands of endless sand. The Arbiter's Grounds stood as a fortress of sorts, and many assumed it was Ganondorf's base of operations. The night is quiet, and even cool. Heat has been taken from the blistering sands by the night chill.

Finally, the group reaches the Arbiter's Grounds. It's built up much more than it was last time people laid eyes on it: a coliseum-style structure empowers the center of the area, with ruined-looking pillars surrounding it. The pillars Link and Zelda knew about from pictures the Hero of Wilds took, but the coliseum was new.

Dismounting their horses, Link, Zelda, and Impa travel inside with a Goron-Hylian defense unit. The dark palace is certainly foreboding, and it isn't a big surprise that Ganondorf constructed this place. It even appears that he began to fortify it with new rooms, much like the dungeons Link had entered previously. Ganondorf was nearly ready to make his final strike. That only begs the question… what happened?

As the group travel through the rooms, strange architectural choices are seen. Areas of unfinished floor that Zelda surmised would be areas for Stal-monsters to rise from. There are even a few puzzles that haven't been completely constructed yet. It's unfinished, but the group can see that this palace was being built as a place to test Link.

Finally, the group approaches a hallway.

"Look!" Zelda whispers. "There's some sort of light over there. I'm getting a magic reading from it."

Link takes a look from where Zelda is standing. "Looks creepy. This must be the spot."

Zelda grabs Link's hand and guides him over towards the light. She sees that it's coming from somewhere behind a door.

"Um… Zelda?" Link asks. Zelda looks at him briefly, then down at her hand. She quickly takes it back.

"Oh, sorry!" she whispers. "I forgot…"

"No, no, I like it," Link interrupts. "You can do it if you want to."

Zelda gives him a smile, and takes his hand again. He had always been the shy one, and he never seemed to want anything to do with the physical parts of their relationship. It was always incredibly slow with him, and even holding hands was something he never did with her. She was sometimes frustrated with it, but it looks as though things were starting to turn in her favor.

"On the count of three, we open the door together," Zelda says.

"On three or after three?" Link jokes.

"Link, this is serious business," Impa says, causing Link and Zelda to jump. "Just… focus on the task."

The three refocus, and the detail of soldiers await eagerly behind them.

"One," Zelda counts.

"Two," Link responds.

"Three!" the two say together. They push open the doors, and what they see is nothing less than magical.

"What… what is this?" Zelda asks to herself.

"No…" Impa says. "No, it can't be…"

"What is it, Impa?" Zelda asks.

"Impossible, he… Ganondorf must have traveled through time. I've seen portals of this nature in ancient texts…" she rifles through old texts that she brought along with her. "See! This appears to be just like the one that tied different eras of Hylian history!"

Link and Zelda study the map. Suddenly, a Goron named Rucko chimes in.

"No brothers, it isn't the same."

Startled, the three look to Rucko.

"Unless the artist of this picture is as bad at drawing as us Gorons, this portal is different than the one in front of us. And isn't it usually Hylians that document this stuff? Or Zoras? Usually you brothers are more careful with that sort of stuff than us."

"Rucko…" Zelda starts. "You're right. It does look a bit different. Impa, any other texts you wouldn't mind showing us?"

"Um… well, let me see…" Impa stutters.

A female voice erupts from the detail.

"I don't think this is something that has happened before, guys!"

Everyone turns to the voice. Zelda is the first to break the silence.

"Who said that?"

The crowd parts to show a young Hylian girl taking off her official Hylian guard outfit.

"Link…" Zelda says. "Why is there a woman in our detail?"

"Linkle is one of our finest warriors, Zelda," Link replies. "She's incredibly skilled. I thought she'd make a great asset to our journey."

"Did you say Linkle?" Zelda asks. "As in, Link? Your names are as similar as you look."

It's true – in everything but gender, Link and Linkle look exactly alike, and honestly, they look rather similar as well. It's truly an oddity to see the two next to each other like this, almost like seeing double.

"You're missing the big picture!" Linkle says. "Everyone in Hyrule knows the legend of the Triforce. Ganon, the dark power, takes the Triforce of Power, then a spirit of a hero and a princess of goddess' blood come to save the day. Yes?"

"Yes," Impa says, "but your point is?"

"No legend has ever recorded Ganon stepping out."

"She's right," Zelda says, "isn't she, Impa?"

"Hmm… I can't say I've heard of Ganon leaving Hyrule unconquered, no. It is rather odd, isn't it?"

"Then this portal must be something greater, yes?" Linkle says. "Something never-before-seen?"

Link is the one to burst in. "That's the only logical option, isn't it? It must have a greater meaning than anything we've ever seen before."

There's some murmuring between everyone in the room. Everyone begins to come to that same conclusion on their own.

"Link," Impa says, "you still need to prove yourself, don't you?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Link asks.

"Impa! I must ask that same question! How could you say that to Link?" Zelda interjects.

"Well, Link has not defeated Ganondorf or sealed him away. He hasn't proven himself to be the legendary hero we need him to be."

"And…? Your point is?" Zelda asks. The entire room is now fixated on this conversation.

"Your highness, shall Link pass through the portal first?"

"I'll do it, Zelda," Link says. "I'm not afraid of what's beyond there."

Zelda is visibly disturbed. She knows it's Link's job to handle things like this – it's his calling. But as his girlfriend, she can't help but feel guilty about letting him charge headfirst into danger like this. It just doesn't feel right.

"Fine," Zelda finally says. "But if you feel as though you're in danger, you get out right away, alright?"

"Okay, Zelda, I will."

The room goes quiet as Link approaches the portal. He takes a big gulp as he takes his first step. The portal itself feels cold – not dark or evil as he had imagined, but cold and uninviting. He suddenly feels himself falling forward into the unknown, tripping over his own foot. He falls into the portal.

"Link!" the entire room shouts at him. To his surprise, he can hear them just fine, though he isn't sure where he is. A cliffside with blue crystals rising into the air and falling into a deep abyss… Hyrule had sights to be sure, but nothing like this.

And just in front of him, he sees another portal. He turns around to make sure the portal he came from is still there – good, it is. He sees a figure fall through it – right on top of him.

"Auggh!" Link yells.

"Oh! Ohhh…" Zelda moans, clearly confused. It takes a moment for her to realize where she is.

"OH!" she yells. She scrambles to get off of Link. "I'm sorry Link! I didn't mean to!"

"It's okay, Zelda, I know. That portal really takes you, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…" Zelda trails off. She looks around, seeing the sights that took Link so far off-guard. "Where are we?"

"No clue," Link replies, "but it certainly isn't Hyrule."

Another second goes by. "Link…"

"Yes?"

"Look around you."

Link starts to look less at the scenery and back at the ground the two of them were standing on. The portal they came through was still open, but now, dozens of new portals had opened up in the area. The two noticed that each portal had a strange symbol over them – one appeared to be a sword of some kind, one a spotted egg, another a star – and some completely indefinable. They looked back at theirs to find the Triforce over theirs. The portal suddenly took on a red coloration. The noise that was coming from the other side was suddenly silenced.

"What… what is this place?" Link asks.

"I don't know," Zelda replies, "but it certainly raises a lot of questions."

"You're tellin' me!" says a voice from behind them. Link and Zelda, startled, jumped into combat positions facing the new foe they'd encountered.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Calm down! I'm not your enemy!" said the boy. He was unlike anything they had ever seen. He had wings and what looked to be a crown of some sort. He carried with him some kind of blade – no, some kind of composite set of blades.

"Who are you?" Zelda asks. "And what is this place?"

"It's a bit of a long story," the boy says. "My name is Pit."


	4. Chapter 2 - Halted Uprising

"Let me get this straight. We're from two completely different worlds?"

"That's right," Pit responds. "At least, that's what Lady Palutena tells me."

"And this Lady Palutena…" Zelda says.

"That would be me," a voice calls out. Link and Zelda look around, startled. The source of the voice is nowhere to be seen – just the three of them, the mysterious portals, and the seemingly-endless columns of crystals.

"Lady Palutena!" Pit exclaims. "I didn't know you were listening in on us!"

"Of course I am, Pit!" the voice responds. Out of nowhere, a tall female figure begins to fade into sight. She is such a beauty – green hair trailing down to her ankles, a dress cut precisely to her body, and bright green eyes that can cut deep into one's own soul. So this was the so-called Lady Palutena.

"Link, Zelda, I'm guessing?" Palutena asks. Link and Zelda both descend onto one knee.

"Such magic… you must be one of the goddesses. Green hair… are you Farore?" Zelda slowly makes into words.

"Farore?" Palutena asks. "I've been called many things, but 'Farore' has never been one of them. You can just call me Palutena, Goddess of Light, protector of mankind. Or just Palutena works too, I don't mind." She seems extremely calm and, despite her position as a goddess, quite laissez-faire.

"You will address her as Lady Palutena, as any that respect her do!" Pit exclaims.

"Telepathy?" Zelda asks. "Is that how you communicate, Palutena?"

"Perceptive, this one," Palutena responds. "She knows her way around magic!"

"Not respect, though, obviously," Pit says.

"Pit, you're the only one that calls me Lady Palutena. Even the others in my guard don't call me that."

"But you deserve that title! You've done so much to earn it!"

"More importantly," Link starts, "Palutena," – Pit visibly scoffs as Link says this – "do you have any idea what's going on here?"

"Unfortunately, I have no clue. Viridi and I were waging war with Hades when suddenly his forces stopped attacking. We sent Pit here, to his home, to investigate."

"And we found you guys!" Pit says. "We were… kinda hoping you had an idea."

"We're just as confused as you," Zelda says. "We thought maybe, since we're in your world, you'd know better than us."

"Has anyone tried entering a portal?" a voice calls out from the darkness below.

"Pittoo!" Pit exclaims.

"How many times must I ask you to stop calling me that!?" the voice asks. Suddenly, a figure – with a surprising resemblance to Pit – skyrockets up from the abyss. A purple light glows from his wings.

"Dark Pit. Come to crash our party?" Palutena asks.

"Didn't expect to see you here. Viridi asked me to come on her own volition," Dark Pit explains.

"Actually, that isn't entirely true," yet another voice calls out. A small, almost childlike figure emerges from the mist. "I knew Palutena was here. I just didn't say that to anyone."

"Viridi!" Pit exclaims. "What is this, some kind of surprise party?"

"Um… would anyone care to fill us in, perhaps?" Zelda asks. Dark Pit and Viridi look to the otherworldly members of the group.

"You don't appear to be from here," Viridi says. "Did you come from one of the portals?"

"Isn't that kind of obvious?" Link responds. Dark Pit shoves the business side of his staff at Link's throat, which got there quicker than the eye could possibly follow.

"You speak to her with reverence," Dark Pit says. "Viridi gave me my wings, and she'll take yours away if she wishes."

"Oh, Dark Pit, just lay off him. He doesn't know any better," Viridi says. "How are we supposed to know if us gods are known in these other worlds?"

"In our world, we've never heard of a Palutena, or a Viridi or Hades. We have totally different goddesses," Zelda says.

"So that's why you asked if I was… Faron? Farosh? Um…" Palutena asks.

"Farore," Zelda corrects. "I understand. I'm just as out of it as you…"

"Anyway, I believe Dark Pit had a brilliant idea you all just glossed over," Viridi says. "Have none of you tried the other portals yet?"

"Not yet," Pit says. "Honestly, I'm a bit surprised only these two have shown up, with how many portals there are."

"You've got a point," Palutena responds. "With so many, the odds of only these two showing up is extremely small."

"Well… you said that this… Hades?... went missing. His attack just completely stopped?" Zelda inquires.

"Yeah, that's right," Pit says. "We were in the thick of it, too. He had the advantage, honestly."

"Pit's right," Dark Pit continues. "Despite our best efforts, the Underworld Army was on the winning side of that fight. But Hades… he just disappeared."

"Weird…" Link says. "Ganondorf was winning the battle in Hyrule, but he just disappeared too. I wonder if that's connected?"

"Hyrule? Is that the land you hail from?" Palutena asks. Link and Zelda nod.

"Well, I think I have an idea of what happened," Viridi says. "It's clear that Hades and this… Ganondorf you speak of must have teamed up somehow."

"But how could that happen?" Pit asks. "If Hades has the power to open portals like this, then why wouldn't he have used it already?"

"It would make for an incredibly strong offensive or defensive tool in battle," Palutena says. "That does make it odd. Did Ganondorf have that sort of power?"

"Not that we are aware of," Zelda says. "The ancient legends are most of what we have to go on. But past incarnations of Ganondorf's spirit have been said to manipulate things like time and terrain. He is incredibly powerful. But this… this appears to be new for him as well."

"And yet…" Dark Pit starts.

"These are the only two worlds that have even come to investigate these portals!" Pit says.

"That must mean that it was one of these two that formed this connection," Viridi concludes.

"Mmm…" Palutena thinks it over. "I don't think it's that simple. Hades is the type to show off and wait for a spectacle, but this isn't what he usually has in mind. He would have shown this off."

"This seems to be more Ganondorf's work, when you describe your Hades that way," Zelda says. "But it seems out of his league. This must be something only gods could do – be it Hylia, Palutena or otherwise."

"Could it be an outside source?" Link asks. "Could a third party have connected them together?"

"That's the only answer that makes sense," Dark Pit says. "If neither could do it alone, it must have been another one helping them out."

"That means…" Palutena looks to the other portals. "The one that connected us…"

"They must belong to one of these portals," Pit finishes.

"Hmm…" Palutena says after a moment of silence. "This is no place to dwell. It's… creepy down here. Shall we set up shop in my temple? I'll form a shortcut to here. It's clearly of high importance."

"What do you say, Link?" Zelda asks.

"Sure, I don't see why not. This place gives me the creeps, and we just came through the Arbiter's Grounds!"

"Can't say I get it, but I agree with ya!" Pit exclaims.

Palutena lifted her arm into the air, and a bright light shone from her hand. A light portal formed the size of Palutena herself.

"This will take us to my temple. If you need to return to your home, just reenter this portal, and go home. But this entire situation seems to be dire. Who knows what those two are doing…"

Later that day, Link and Zelda escape away into the palace gardens. They are some of the most beautiful things Link and Zelda have ever seen – a garden high in the sky with pools of glistening water, birds chirping musical sonatas, and butterflies gliding on the light wind currents. The clouds underneath Skyworld were turning orange from the sunset.

"Link…" Zelda says, somber in tone. "What do you think is going to happen?"

"What do you mean?" Link asks.

"This isn't like anything you've ever done before. I'VE ever done before. It's something totally new. To be honest… I'm rather frightened." Zelda's eyes began to tear up.

"Zelda…"

"And Impa isn't here to help us! She's locked in our world! She can't come through the portal…"

It was true. After the portal had gone red, only Link and Zelda were capable of passing through the threshold. They could come and go at will, but only they could do so.

"Zelda." She looks into Link's eyes. "I'm here to help you. I'm here to protect you. You're stronger than you know. The goddesses have always been fans of yours. Even when I'm not at your side, they will be, and they will help you."

"Link…"

"But you don't need to worry. I'm right here…" Link reaches over and takes Zelda's hand. "And you know that I'm not going anywhere."

Their eyes meet. Zelda takes her hand away from Link's and embraces him, to his surprise. She can't control her crying now. She begins to cry into his shoulder. Link, still taken aback by the sudden physical contact that Zelda thrust onto him, slowly begins to return the favor. He embraces her, attempting to calm her down.

"You know I'm right here. I always will be," Link assures.

A few moments pass. They are the most peaceful moments the two have had all day – it's been quite eventful. Zelda pulls away from Link, arms still around him. She looks up to him, and their eyes meet. She knows what she desperately wants to do, but refrains, knowing that would make him incredibly uncomfortable. Instead, she smiles as he begins to wipe away the tears from her face. She notices that he looks slightly worried himself.

"Link?"

"Hm?"

"What's wrong?"

"I'm pretty transparent, aren't I?" Link asks.

"What's bothering you? Is everything okay?"

"It… it has to do with what you said. You're right. And it's okay to be scared… I am too. But as they say, bravery is knowing only you are scared. Be brave, Zelda. I'm doing my best myself."

"Oh, Link…" Zelda pulls away. "I'm sorry to bring you down. I didn't mean to rub off on you."

"I already felt that way, Zelda. It had nothing to do with you. It still doesn't. This is totally new territory for both of us. It's impossible to not be somewhat worried."

Suddenly, Pit bursts in.

"Hey, guys! We gotta talk."

The group meets in Palutena's main chamber. In the center of the room is a large table that certainly was not there when Link and Zelda first arrived. Dark Pit, Palutena, and Viridi are all hunched over the table, chattering about something.

"Finally, the lovebirds made it," Viridi jokes.

"Viridi, please, this is important," Palutena says. "We have work to do."

"Ugh, fine, spoilsport! I'll make jokes on my own time!"

"What's going on, Palutena?" Zelda asks.

"It appears there's been some activity coming from one of the portals," Dark Pit explains.

"This one…" Palutena points at a portal. The symbol above it was the sword.

"That one?" Link says. "That's quite interesting…"

"Shall we investigate?" Dark Pit asks.

"Of course! Woohoo, adventure!" Pit exclaims.

Everyone steps into the light portal. They're suddenly whisked into the City of Souls once again.

"Whoa!" Pit yells. "That's crazy!"

The portal with the sword above it appeared to have dark energy flowing from it. It looked as if it were corrupting the area around it, but there was no way to be sure. Link took a big gulp. He felt his hand suddenly entering a grip. He turned to its source to see Zelda looking at him.

"It'll be okay. We're ready for whatever lies on the other side."

Link smiles, and turns towards the portal.

"Shall we, then?" he asks.

"Yes! We shall!" Viridi yells. She runs at the portal, clearly overly-excited. As she reaches it, it gains a red coloration.

"Wait, Viridi!" Zelda yells. But it was too late.

 _SMACK!_

Viridi falls to the ground, stunned.

"Ehhhh…"

"It looks like only some people from each world can enter these things," Zelda says.

"How did you know that?" Palutena asks.

"We were the only ones from our world that could make it through ours. It looks like only some are chosen to pass through the portals to other worlds."

"Hm. Then I guess we will need to slowly try it, one by one," Dark Pit says.

"Me first!" Pit exclaims. He runs to the portal and steps through with no problem. Both Palutena and Dark Pit follow – no issues.

"Really? JUST ME?! That's no fair!" Viridi complains.

"I guess you're our home base operator," Link says.

"NO FAIR! I wanna explore!"

"Well, Link? Shall we?" Zelda says. Link takes her hand.

"Yes. Let's go."

The two walk into the portal, unsure of what sort of world lies in wait for them – and what kind of evil force is producing the darkness that envelops the portal.


	5. Chapter 3 - A World of Swords

The air is thin compared to the humid depths of the City of Souls. The sky is blue – a far cry from the fantastical colors the sky in Pit's world. As Link and Zelda pass through the portal, they see the nature of their surroundings. A grassy field. A pool of water. Despite the calming atmosphere, the air seemed too… thin to be a simple plain.

"Lady Palutena? Is my power of flight safe to use now?" Pit asks.

"Should be. I'll fly you around to check out our surroundings," Palutena says.

"I guess that's one thing about Viridi not being able to come with us," Dark Pit sulks. "I can't fly without her."

"I might be able to help you, Dark Pit," Palutena says. "I could try the power of flight on you."

Pit's wings begin to light up. He skyrockets high into the air.

"Woohoo! Oh yeah, takin' flight!" Pit yells.

He faded into the distance.

"Can't you see everything anyway?" Dark Pit asks.

"Of course," Palutena responds, "but he needs his flying time. He gets even more insecure when he doesn't get it after a while."

"Then where are we, exactly?" Zelda asks.

"I don't know specifics, but I can see a few things. We're currently on top of a mountain. There's an ocean to the east, and a long, flowing plain to our west. Besides that, I see some settlements. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Settlements?" Zelda starts. "Like cities or just little towns?"

"They look like small settlements around here," Palutena says. "But my vision is a bit less… omniscient in this world. I'll fly Pit further west."

A few moments go by. Nobody seems to want to talk. Palutena appears to be busy, probably totally occupied with flying Pit around. Dark Pit is at the edge of the field, overlooking the mountain. Link and Zelda walk over to the water.

"This… looks fairly similar to the Spring of Wisdom, doesn't it, Link?" Zelda asks.

"If the Spring of Wisdom were in a grassy field instead of a freezing cold mountaintop!" Link says. "I'll never forget the day we took you there. You were complaining about the cold nonstop!"

"Yeah, I was. It's cold there, how did you even stay warm?"

"The Rito make some incredibly warm and comfortable clothes. Have you never tried them before?"

"I guess I haven't. Though to be fair, it isn't very often the Rito come far from the Dragon Roost."

"You're a princess. You have the capability to travel across the land, so why don't you?"

"Because I'm a princess. I have to take care of ruling the kingdom, not going around and seeing the sights. If you're to be king one day, you need to realize that too."

From out of nowhere, Pit rockets up from the edge of the mountain.

"Woohoo! I'm back everyone!" he bellows.

"Great, I was really missing your happy-go-lucky attitude," Dark Pit says, rolling his eyes.

"Don't be like that, Dark Pit," Palutena says. "We have a bit of a situation on our hands."

"And you've neglected to keep us in the loop, Your Highness," Dark Pit retorts. "What did you find out?"

"Have you discovered something, Palutena?" Zelda asks.

"Yeah we have! There's a big city far to the west of here. Lots of smaller villages, too!" Pit says excitedly.

"There is movement in the city, and it appears to be a capital of some kind," Palutena says. "I suggest we head in that direction."

"But what about the dark presence we felt from the portal?" Link speaks up. "We can't just forget about that!"

"That's a good point," Dark Pit says. "Even measured against Hades, that was some pretty dark magic. We can't discount that."

"We can stay on the lookout," Palutena says. "Even with a full five minutes with the Power of Flight, neither Pit nor I could see anything that had high darkness readings."

"It's actually quite peaceful in whatever world this is," Pit says. "There are small dark readings all over the place, but they're minimal at best."

"I say we start by heading down this mountain," Zelda says. "Like you said, we need to keep our eyes peeled, but we should head for that city."

A few glances are had, but everyone agrees. They all slowly descend the mountaintop. As they leave the grassy plain, they are met with a chilling wind – perhaps the peak is within some sort of magic bubble? If the air is this cold, then grass shouldn't be capable of growing. At least it all feels consistent now, with both thin air and freezing temperatures.

As the group reaches the base of the mountain, things heat up a bit. There's a pathway just to the north, and the group decides to follow it.

Upon reaching the first village, the group finds themselves right at home. The townsfolk are all very kind, and offer gifts of devotion to Pit, Dark Pit, and Palutena, calling them Naga and her servants. It's clearly in the same technological state as Hyrule, maybe even back a few decades. The group sees no sort of weaponry, which makes sense considering this is a primarily civilian town.

Finally, after a few days of travel, the group reaches a vast, flowing plain. An enormous city juts from the center of the field, similar to how Hyrule Castle rises from Hyrule Field. Their gait speeds up and morale greatly increases, thanks to their goal now being right in sight.

"Halt!" says a voice from above. The group all stop in their tracks. They are just short of the city gates.

"Who goes there?" says the voice. The group look up to the wall's top. A few dozen men are looking down upon them, bows aimed at their heads.

"We are weary travelers," Palutena says, "we seek shelter and audience with your leader."

"Ha! You wish to speak with milord Prince Chrom!?" the man laughs. "You're a strange lot, aren't you!"

"Stand down, Frederick," says a voice up from above.

"Milord, you can't…"

"I said stand down!" the voice says.

A head emerges from the wall. A young man with dark blue hair now looks upon Link and company.

"You…" the man says.

"Are you… are you Prince Chrom?" Zelda asks.

"Chrom," the man says, "just call me Chrom."

"Milord, are you sure about this?"

"He's sure all right," says another voice. "I told him he should personally oversee this visit."

Another head looks over the wall. This time, it is a young man with snow white hair, somewhat effeminate features and wearing incredibly strange garb.

"Let them in," the man says. "I will personally see that they are brought to the castle."

The archers lower their aim, the captain steps down, and the white-haired man approaches the group. He mutters something to Chrom, leading Chrom to venture toward the castle.

"Hello, everyone," the man says as he reaches them. "My name is Robin."

The group are led to the castle throne room. On the way, they are greeted by many friendly faces. One man introduces himself as "the Vaike", a stubborn woman as Sully, a foreboding woman that names herself Tharja, a nice young man named Ricken, and many others. Each one appeared to be readying weapons of every kind – swords, lances, bows, axes, and the like. Some appeared to be doting books. It appears to be quite the learned army if they have that many books on hand.

The throne room is massive. A red carpet stretches from the entrance all the way to the throne. Tall pillars dot the sides of the room. A skylight of the greatest of proportions adorns the ceiling. At the throne sits Chrom, and a woman that looks very mysteriously like him.

"So. You are the otherworldly travelers Robin told me about?" Chrom asks.

"Otherworldly? So you know of our origins?" Palutena asks.

"I know you aren't Naga or a dragon of some kind, Robin told me that much."

"As a tactician," Robin says, "it's my job to know these things. I must know my enemies."

"We are not your enemies, I assure you," Zelda says. "We come in peace."

"You're the first to come through this… portal," Robin says. "You appear to be pure enough, but I can't be sure. We all have our dark sides…"

"Robin, please," Chrom says. "We will take it out soon enough. This whole debacle will end soon."

"Yes… you're… right," Robin says, struggling to get the words out.

"Ahem," says the woman, who still hasn't introduced herself. "Perhaps we could test whether they are friend or foe?"

"They haven't burned Ylisstol to the ground. That's enough for me," Chrom says.

"You're always too trusting," Robin says.

"Says the guy he found lying in a field and decided to trust!" the woman says.

"Excuse me," Link interjects, "but who exactly are you?"

"Oh, me?" the woman says. "I am Lucina. I am the heir to Ylisse, and Chrom's daughter. And the person that will ultimately decide if you're trustworthy."

"Lucina, dear, please," Chrom says. "We have troubles enough. We could ask them to help us. Will that suffice for you?"

"That'd be enough for me," Robin says. "If they're willing to help us, I'd heed their words."

"Egh… fine, I suppose," Lucina says. "But only because you trust them, Father."

"Help with what, exactly?" Pit asks. "Are we helping take down some sort of demon creature thing?"

"You're not too far off," Robin says. "Its name is Grima, also known as the Fell Dragon. He has been terrorizing this world for millennia."

"It's my job, as a descendant of the First Exalt, to seal him away," Chrom says. "With the Fire Emblem, it's possible, and we just retrieved the final stone."

"We would be happy to help in any way we can," Palutena says. "But we don't know what we are up against, and I'm not sure if all of our abilities will work here the same as they do in our worlds."

"There's only one way to find out," Robin says. "We can equip you with some weapons from our world, just in case."

"Grima is located out on the Central Sea," Lucina says. "He has started to circle around Origin Peak. It's a long boat ride out there, but once there, we must be ready for the fight of our lives."

"We can do it!" Pit exclaims. "We've taken down worse before!"

"Yeah… sure we have," Dark Pit retorts. "We will do what we can."

"We'll help out, too!" Zelda says. "With all our might!"

"It's settled, then," Chrom says. "We head out at dawn. We should prepare for combat, just to be safe."

"Milord, shall I inform the troops?" Frederick asks, seemingly appearing from nowhere.

"Yes, Frederick, inform the troops. We leave at sunup."

That night, the group is brought to guest rooms in the castle. Each is given a bed that is more comfortable than any – well, Zelda and Link at least – have ever slept in before.

"Get a good night's rest," Robin says. "We all will need it if we want to end Grima."

Late that same night, Link hears a knock at his door. He gets up to answer it. When he opens it up, he finds Zelda standing in the doorway.

"Um… hey, Zelda. What are you doing up so late?"

"Link… I'm having trouble sleeping," she responds.

"On a bed that comfortable? Is that even possible?"

"Shut it, Link. I'm… I'm very worried about tomorrow. I haven't heard a word from the Goddesses, or from Hylia herself. I really do feel as though these worlds… they're too different."

"Zelda, it's going to be fine! We will be fine! Here…" Link leads Zelda into the room and closes the door. "We can-"

All of a sudden, Zelda is beset with tears. She just starts bawling.

"Is your Master Sword even full of divine power anymore!?" Zelda cries.

"Is my – " Link starts. He isn't sure. He hasn't even considered it – to be fair, he hasn't had a need to use the sword since they left their realm. He walks over to the blade, unsheathes it – only to find it appears as though it is a normal sword.

Link is destitute. He can't believe his eyes. What once made him feel like an unstoppable force is now a clump of metal held together by sheep's skin.

"It's… it's…" Link is lost for words.

"Link…" Zelda continues, crying still. "Your sword is without its power. My magic… if I can't hear the goddesses, I can't use their powers. This world… it feels like it's draining my power."

"Do you think the others are having the same troubles?" Link asks.

"We've been absent far longer than they have," Zelda says. "We've been with them this entire time, in their world. Then we come here without thinking to recharge!"

"We didn't know that was a possibility," Link says. "We can't blame ourselves for that."

"We can't back out now…" Zelda is starting to lose herself. She's clearly very down at this point.

"We will get through this. I'll keep the Master Sword behind. If it's lost its role as the blade of evil's bane, I won't risk breaking it here. I'll use a sword from this world."

"But…"

"And as for you… If Robin knew about us being from another world, I'd wager there's magic in this world in some form. You would be able to figure that out easily."

"Are you sure there's magic here?"

"Almost completely positive."

"Can't say I'd be super useful in a fistfight…"

"From the sound of it, we won't be dealing with one of those," Link says. "Though a blade of evil's bane would be nice right about now."

"Thank you, Link. I'm feeling better already." Zelda rests her head on Link's chest. He holds her head in his arms.

"That's… that's what I'm here for."

She looks up at him. Their eyes meet once again. And yet again, she knows what she wants to do. She's so desperate to finally reach that point with him, but she never feels as though she knows what he wants.

Link, unbeknownst to her, is beginning to feel this same way. Historically, Zelda has been the one to initiate that sort of progress in this relationship, so he is letting her set the pace. What he doesn't know is that he isn't very good at hinting at what it is he wants. His face remains stoic, with only a smile to cheer her up. He doesn't know how to signal what he wants. Needless to say, neither would be sharing the kiss both of them want tonight.

After a short while of holding Zelda in his arms, she gets up and returns to her room. No sense in staying in Link's room if they aren't going anywhere tonight. The two get to sleep as quickly as they can. They have a big day ahead of them tomorrow.

Elsewhere in the castle, the natives of this realm are stirring.

"I just don't know, dear," Robin says.

"You know what you need to do, don't you?" Cordelia says. "You know there's two ways out of this. You've said so yourself."

"I know that," Robin responds. "but which way is going to benefit the world most?"

"You've always been the self-sacrificing type. But in this case…"

"The ultimate sacrifice…"

"Don't forget we had those… outsiders come into our city today. What of that?"

"Oh, you mean the Outrealm people?" Robin's eyes light up. "They didn't come from the southern portal. It must be a different one…"

"My love, you know what I think you should do, despite it being so selfish of me," Cordelia says. "But maybe those outsiders coming here is proof of something greater. They might need you."

"Perhaps, but what of this world? That must be my first priority."

"And what if you do… sacrifice yourself to end Grima's oppression? What could come from that new portal? Another great, unstoppable threat? …What then?"

"I… I suppose we could tell Chrom to simply seal Grima away once again. But then he will return in a millennium…"

"Robin," Cordelia concludes, "if what's happening out there truly is a threat to us, then allowing Chrom's descendant to take care of it is justifiable in my eyes."

"Yes, selfish it sounds of you to say that, it truly is the best tactical solution. And it still prevents Lucina's future from coming true."

"You must stop dwelling on it, my love. Thinking of it too much may change your mind, make you think irrationally. You'll start to think like me!"

"I think you're right, dear. I need some good sleep, though the nightmares haven't been kind to me as of late…"

"My love… I will hold you tonight. Perhaps that will help?"

"Well, I'm not one to argue that…"

Elsewhere, in the royal chambers, yet more are avoiding slumber…

"Sumia, are you ready for tomorrow?" Chrom asks.

"Of course not. You?" Sumia responds.

"No. Though I doubt many are."

"What… what do you think will happen with Robin?"

"I know him so well, yet I can't tell what he will do. He's self-sacrificing, but if these Outrealm inhabitants show signs of a greater purpose…"

"We can't dwell on it, Chrom. Robin will make the choice he does when the time comes."

"As right as you are, I'm afraid I'll lose some of my closest friends to that damn dragon…"

"Let's just… go to sleep. We can worry about that in the morning. If we don't rest ourselves, we could meet that fate."

"You're probably right, Sumia. I'll do my best to not think about it."

"Good night then, Chrom. I love you."

"I love you too, Sumia. Sleep fast."

As all this is happening, Link and company continue to have trouble sleeping. Palutena can feel her powers slowly drifting from her soul. Pit and Dark Pit, as they mostly use magical powers gifted by others, feel little effect on this other world; Zelda begins to feel very distant from the goddesses she felt so devout towards, and Link cannot help but think of what the loss of the Master Sword could mean, should the changes remain permanent.

It's a rough night for everyone. Nobody sleeps tonight.

Everyone can only hope the Fell Dragon is fiercer in name than in existence.


	6. Chapter 4 - The Emblem of Hope

The sun seems to rise sooner in this world, according to Link's calculations. He was hoping to catch at least a few z's, but it just doesn't seem to be in the cards tonight. Morning already? It feels as though he just escorted Zelda from his room.

Zelda is having just as much trouble believing it. Can the night already be over? It feels too soon. Surely everyone has some time before they must leave…

Just then, there's a knock on their doors.

"Link? Hello, Link?" Link can hear Robin's voice bellowing on the other side of the door.

"I'm up… I'm awake," Link stutters, clearly still quite groggy.

"We need to gear you up before we leave," Robin says. "It'd be dangerous to go without some sort of gear."

"Yeah, I agree," Link says. "Just… let me get dressed first."

"Hurry up, Link. Most of the army is already prepped and ready to go."

Now the pressure is on. Link has never been awake, dressed, and ready as quickly as he is today.

"So… what do you have in the way of weapons?" Link asks.

"What's your style? Physical fighter? Mage? Support? Do you ride?" Robin asks Link's ear right off.

"I'm a swordsman," Link says. "While I can fight on a horse, I'm typically best in combat on foot. And I can shoot a bow, as well."

"Well, I've got a steel bow here for you," Robin says. "In the way of swords, we have plenty in our stockpile. Pick whichever one you like. I'll go get a plentiful stock of arrows for your quiver."

Link takes stock of the armory. There are lances, axes, and swords lining the walls, more than the eye can easily count. The collection of each weapon type is immense as well.

"Windcleavers?" Link asks. "And loads of other weird swords as well…"

"Windcleavers?" Robin says. "I've never heard of such a thing. What is it you're referring to?"

Link points to a curved blade that seems to be a cross between a traditional sword and a Gerudo's scimitar, but as he said before, it most resembled one of the Yiga Clan's Windcleavers.

"Oh, that's called a Killing Edge," Robin says. "It's designed to aim for critical weak points on your enemy. It's very popular with one of our own, Lon'qu. Say'ri is a fan of it, as well."

"Huh," Link says. "I'll need to keep that one in mind."

"If I could recommend something," Robin says, "since we are going up against a dragon, a Wyrmslayer might be of use to us."

"A Wyrmslayer?"

"It's a sword that contains slight magical properties that make it extra-effective in reptiles. Namely, dragons. Oh, a Blessed Lance might be useful, too, if you can wield a lance. That is specifically designed to take out Risen."

"Risen? What are Risen?"

"They're what we call Grima's servants. They are creatures that are reanimated from long-dead people of various lands."

"Kind of like ReDeads from our world, but… sentient?"

Robin thinks for a moment. "No, I don't think they're sentient. They appear to respond to one stimulus… kill. And if we are going up against Grima, I'm positive there'll be some Risen at the scene."

Link takes stock of the room once more. There's so many good options. Robin points out a few more weapons he could use. Robin's personal favorite, the Levin Sword, is capable of attacking with magic from afar. The Glass Sword would allow Link to hit really hard, but even a single strike could break the sword. Another is a blade Robin calls Sol, which uses the magical properties of their sun to activate natural healing processes within the body when the blade strikes flesh. There's so much variety in their stock. This doesn't only apply to swords, either – there are even bows of equal diversity, with weapons like the Killer Bow, which Robin claims has heart-seeking arrows. Some other examples include the Blessed Bow, Robin's personal recommendation due to the threat of Risen, and a bow named Astra, which Link imagined would work similarly to a Duplex Bow from the Yiga Clan in Hyrule. Robin has given Link a world's worth of options, and Link can't seem to decide what he wants to use.

"Robin!" Chrom's voice calls from outside. "Are we ready to head out?"

"Nearly finished, Chrom! I just need to get the otherworldly people their weapons!"

"We must hurry! Grima's wrath won't wait for us!"

Robin turns to Link.

"I need to go ready the others. Pit and Dark Pit will join you in here shortly. The others I will take to our library."

"But –"

"Quickly, find something you like. We can talk on the boats."

And just like that, Robin is gone. He's off to help the others.

Link takes one more look at the armory. He's in for a tough decision.

Hours later, everyone is loaded onto boats on the southern coast of Ylisse. Chrom and Lucina are heading the lead ship, with Robin, Frederick, Palutena, Pit, Dark Pit, Zelda, and Link loaded on board. The salty air is murder on Link's lungs, but he will manage. Zelda seems to be in high spirits.

There's five ships in total, and each one is carrying some form of weaponry or supplies. Miriel, Ricken, Tharja and Henry are holding a massive library within their ship's hull; Lissa, Maribelle and Libra are tending to the supplies and staves; the third boat is the fullest, with Lon'qu, Vaike, Panne, Donnel, Nowi, Tiki, Gaius, Virion, Kellam, Basilio, Flavia, Olivia, Gregor, and Anna taking care of the main armory. The final ship is specifically taking care of the cavalry – Sully, Stahl, Sumia, Cordelia, and Cherche are all taking care of the horses, pegasi, and wyverns they have onboard. The central ship that Chrom is sailing contains a general stock of swords, lances, bows, axes, and even some books that could have probably stayed on Tharja's ship.

"I've been meaning to ask," Link says to Robin, "what's your world's obsession with books? It seems as though everyone is carrying one, or at least studying it."

"Oh, I can answer that, Link," Zelda says. "The books are how people of this world use magic!"

"She's right," Robin says. "Though here, we call them 'tomes'. It helps to distinguish works of literature from these weaponized scrolls of pen and paper."

"Both Zelda and myself were brought to the royal library to search for some tomes," Palutena says. "I quite like the Wind varieties, myself. It's the closest I could find to my light-like powers."

"And I prefer Thunder tomes," Zelda says. "Robin also recommended some staffs for me to use. They'll come in handy to aid others on this journey."

"Wait a sec," Pit says. "Lady Palutena, what did you say about your powers of light?"

"It appears as though I have not retained my goddess form between worlds. I am a mere mortal in this realm, and I can't use magic naturally as I could in ours."

"So you won't be able to give me the power of flight for the battle?"

"I will certainly try, but I won't know for sure. I will try for you as well, Dark Pit. Both of you are best in battle when in the air."

"Heh. Let's hope you don't goof up," Dark Pit says.

"Strange," Zelda says. "Something similar happened with me. I can't use powers from the goddess Hylia, or her servants. Do you think it has something to do with this realm?"

"Hmm…" Robin thinks. "I can't say for sure. I don't think it's integral to this world, as we are capable of using magic, as is Grima, Manaketes, and even Taguel. Magic exists here. It must be something entirely different. And it may be difficult to ascertain precisely why… unless one of us magic users comes to one of your realms."

"One of our realms…?" Pit asks. "So you're saying you'll try to enter our portal?"

"If we all make it through today, yes," Robin says. "Something this intriguing must be studied."

"Hear, hear," Chrom says. "I'll be stepping through as well. I must say, you've intrigued me as well. You've proven to be completely oblivious to our world's rules, so you must be from another world."

"I feel it's strange I know nothing about this," Lucina says. "My world has no history of such an event occurring. To be fair, though, my world didn't take these same turns."

"Your world?" Palutena asks. "How do you mean?"

"Did you come from our portal too?" Zelda asks.

"No, I come from this world's future," Lucina says. "Or, well, a parallel version of this world's future. In a decade or so, the world is completely ravaged by Grima's assault, so our generation came back in time to alter history."

"Wait. Did you say time travel?" Zelda asks.

"Yes. The holy dragon Naga is who gave us this ability."

"You thinking what I'm thinking, Zelda?" Link asks.

"Yeah… I think so," she replies.

"Are you familiar with such things?" Robin asks. "Is time travel common in your world?"

"No, not typically," Zelda says, "though it has been documented in ancient legend. An ancient hero once used the power to travel through time to save our land. It's assumed that Ganondorf, our world's greatest threat, was capable of doing the same."

"Even in our world, time travel is impossible," Palutena says. "Only forward! Haha!"

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever heard of the gods speeding up or slowing down time at all," Pit says. "It's always been steady-going in our world."

"I wonder…" Zelda says.

"What is it?" Link asks.

"It'll need to wait," Chrom says. "Look in the distance."

Far ahead of where the boats are sailing is an incredibly tall mountain rising from the sea's surface. It appears like a tower, jutting up from the seabed like a massive spire. Smoke bellows from its top – a volcano. Hovering in the skies near the island's perimeter is the target – a massive, black shadow, gracefully flying around.

"Grima," Lucina says.

Robin suddenly keels over. He holds his head in his arms, clearly in pain.

"Hrrgh…" he moans.

"Robin! Are you okay?" Chrom asks.

"Hr… I'm… I'm fine. We just need to get up to him. I can handle it once we're there."

Chrom steps up to the head of the lead boat and bellows orders to the others.

"All ships, prepare to dock at that island! Sumia, Cordelia, Cherche, you're in charge of transporting everyone to height! Grima is high up, and you've got the flyers. Sully, Stahl, knock your horses out so we can get them up there! Time is of the essence, everyone. We must hurry once we land!"

Despite how informal the address is, it's backed up by a strong sense of urgency and confidence. It's clear why he is the Exalt of Ylisse now.

The air becomes a steaming hot mist that's difficult to breathe. While most of the natives to this world believe it's Grima creating this environment, most of the otherworlders know it's really just the volcano. The sky is black with smoke, and there is a scattered appearance of glowing violet lights in the sky. Now that is Grima.

Link looks over at Zelda. He's worried – he has no clue what they're about to get into, and he has no idea whether he and Zelda will both make it out of here alive. This demon dragon has been built up by the natives so much that he isn't sure if they can pull this off.

"Hey, don't feel so down," Chrom says, surprising Link. "You look like we're hopeless!"

"Aren't we, though?" Link asks. "Look at how big it is compared to us. We have no weaponry that can take it out! How could we possibly win to a thing like that?!"

"Ah, so you weren't filled in," Chrom replies. He lifts his sword from its scabbard.

"This is the Falchion," he says. "It's been passed down from generation to generation of Exalts. It's now the Exalted Falchion, enabled by the Fire Emblem and the goddess Naga – giving it the power to seal away Grima."

"So with that sword alone, we can defeat him?" Link asks.

"He heh, I wish it were so simple," Chrom says. "We must weaken him first. In his current state, his spirit is too strong to accept imprisonment. That's where you all come in."

He looks towards the army, to which Link follows. Everyone is loading up on pegasi. Some, such as Gaius and Lon'qu especially, are having some difficulty controlling them.

"We can do this," Chrom says. "We just need to trust in our bonds of friendship. And even though we haven't known each other long, I trust in you, Zelda, and the others, too."

Chrom walks away, probably to board a pegasus of his own. Link looks down at his left hand. It's faint, but he can still see a shred of an outline – the Triforce of Courage hasn't left him. If it's still with him, Zelda surely has her Triforce of Wisdom on her. This is all he needs. He's mentally ready. He slings his Steel Bow and sheathes his Wyrmslayer before heading to the pegasus loading area. The battle is surely going to be a fierce one, but Chrom was right. All of their bonds will prove stronger than the might of a single malevolent force, as it always had in Hyrule. And just like in Hyrule, he is sure to keep the Master Sword, blade of evil's bane, close on his person.

Link's pegasus finally reaches the dragon's back. Link hops off, and the pegasus flies off into the distance. Chrom, Lissa, Zelda, Palutena and Robin hop off close behind.

"WRETCHED SON OF NAGA… YOU WILL BE DESTROYED," bellows a dark, brooding, mysterious voice.

"What was that?" Zelda asks.

"Grima," Robin replies. "It's him."

"Are you ready, Robin?" Chrom asks.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Chrom. Let's finish this!"

"Bringing Pit and Dark Pit up now!" Palutena announces. They skyrocket up just past Grima's back's perimeter. Pit's yodeling is audible even from here. He's having the time of his life. Palutena is clearly relieved her power of flight still works.

Suddenly, everyone feels a dark force wash over them. It's impossible to determine precisely what it is, but one thing is clear: it's certainly from Grima.

"Hrrngh! Ugh… Wh…What manner of magic…" Chrom stutters.

"Magic?" Basilio says. "That was a… damned catastrophe… He's weakened us all… He's too… strong…"

"No… it cannot end like this," Frederick stammers. "I won't have… all our struggle… be for naught…"

Lucina is next to chime in. "No… this darkness… The future is upon us! Oh, gods… F-Father…"

"And so it ends, Robin. See how frail these human bonds of yours are? How short-lived? How pointless? You have all thrown your lives away, and the result is the same!" Now Grima is just messing with them.

"We're not dead yet!" Robin retorts.

"Details, details," Grima says, clearly annoyed. "But yes, I suppose it's time I got all of you off my back, so to speak – permanently."

"No…" Robin says, attempting to keep morale up.

Grima starts to feel smug. "No, you don't want this, do you? You do have a choice, you know. It doesn't have to be this way. You can still save all your friends… Become one with me, and we shall spare their lives. Refuse, and watch as I rend the flesh from their bones!"

Robin's lost all composure by this point. "I…" He can barely get any words out.

"No, Robin!" Chrom calls. "Don't… do it…"

"He's lying," Lissa says. "It's… a trap…"

"Robin!" Link yells. "Don't! It's all lies!"

"They're right, Robin!" Zelda yells. "Trust us, not this demon!"

"Now! I will have your decision! Will you save these worms? Will you join me and become a GOD?"

"Do you think me a fool?" Robin yells. "You'll kill them anyway!"

"Well, of course I would. I only thought you might want to leave your comrades with a heroic, selfless image… but so be it. Leave them with the final memory that you were their undoing!"

"What… AHHH!" Robin screams. Suddenly, a dark, black portal engulfs him. Link and Zelda can tell it's different from the one they entered into this world from. Just as it had appeared, the portal disappears – and Robin is gone.

"Robin!?" Chrom yells. "ROBIN!"

"Where'd Robin go!?" Lissa cries. "Robin!"

"I can't detect his presence anywhere," Palutena says.

"Neither can I," Tharja adds, "and I usually know exactly where he's at all the time."

The group is suddenly silenced by Grima's bellowing voice.

"You dare resist me?! Then perhaps I should end you first!"

"He's resisting," Chrom says. "He's still himself! We must help him!"

"But how?" Zelda asks. "We don't even know where he is!"

"I've got an idea," Chrom says. He looks towards the fell dragon's head.

"You have to fight back!" he yells. "You have to fight back!"

"You have to keep fighting!" Link chimes in. He's got an idea of where Chrom's going with this.

"Come on, Robin! You can do this!" Palutena joins.

"Fight back! You have to keep fighting!" Chrom's really getting into it now. "Fight back, Robin! You swore to do so, remember? Now keep your damn word!"

"Ch…" a voice, barely audible, can be heard upon the back of the beast. "Chrom?" It's Robin's voice.

"Chrom! Chrom, I can hear you!" Robin's voice swells and becomes easier to hear.

"What?! No! You are mine now! The dragon's grip cannot be broken!" Grima yells, seemingly at Robin.

"Come back to us, Robin!" Lissa yells.

"We're all right here by your side!" Cordelia screams.

"You don't bow to dragons, you break them!" Flavia yells.

"This isn't how this ends!" Palutena says.

"Snap out of it, Robin!" Zelda adds.

"Now, Robin! Let's finish this!" Link yells.

"Stop this at once! Silence your wretched voices! You are all powerless! Frail! Insignificant! You are nothing!" Grima's starting to lose his cool at this point.

"Return to us, Robin! Your bond with us is stronger than even the fell dragon's might!" Chrom says.

"Chrom! I'm coming, Chrom! Hold on!"

Suddenly, Robin is back in the corporeal realm, with nigh a scratch on him.

"Robin!" Zelda says. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, milady," Robin says. "But we have a dragon to slay."

Another voice bellows in power similar to Grima's; but this time, it's far softer, and gentler.

"Children of man, take my power! Rise now, and face the fell dragon!"

"That voice… it belongs to Naga!" Libra yells. "The goddess is on our side!" Morale is boosted among the army – Grima's dark spell no longer has a hold on anyone.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Pit says. "Now to kick some dragon butt!"

Palutena flies the two angels back into the sky. Thankfully, they hadn't flown for very long before Grima's first attack; they will be of much use in the battle from here on.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Chrom yells.

"Engage the enemy!" Robin commands. "And quickly! The Risen threat will continue to engage us until this dragon is felled!"

The army charges for Grima's head.

The back of the Fell Dragon becomes a bloodbath. Risen, Grima's servants, rise from his back like tumors emerging from one's skin. They break off and assault the army in all directions. They even come in varieties that match the army's: some ride wyverns and pegasi, some stay on foot, others ride horses. Each of them appears feral, as Chrom and Robin had described to the outworlders. Members of both sides take hits from each other. The Risen take out many Ylissian and Regna Ferox soldiers. Said soldiers take out horde after horde of Risen. As the leads of the army continue to charge the head, bodies pile up, making it more and more difficult to traverse the battlefield.

And what a battle it is – Link, Zelda, and Palutena marvel at the tactics both sides are utilizing. Robin is clearly extremely adept at strategy, even more so than Palutena. Robin instructed Palutena to keep the angels out of Grima's reach while keeping them close enough to pick off the pegasus-riding Risen. This strategy has turned out to be incredibly effective thus far. Zelda is assigned to a group headed by Tharja, who is leading a group of mages and dark mages towards a horde of heavily-armored enemy troops. Chrom and Robin are sticking together, with Lucina, Lissa, and Frederick backing them up. Cordelia and Sumia are off the wings, with Cordelia handling enemy mages and Sumia sweeping up enemy knights. Donnel and Nowi are tearing up the cavalry on the army's left flank, with Gregor and Panne doing the same on the right. Virion has taken up the critical role of garbage collection, ensuring that any Risen that make it through the front line don't reach the group. Vaike, Gaius, Basilio, and Flavia are carving a way through the enemy to reach the head, with Kellam standing at the front in case of heavy attacks. Sully and Stahl are performing bonus guard duty for the central entourage. All the while, Maribelle and Libra are making rounds from party to party, supporting and tending to wounds wherever applicable.

At the same time, Grima has a nasty plot that Robin is attempting to unravel. The Risen are making a beeline for Chrom in an effort to ensure Grima's success. Some Risen have managed to take out a few VIP's already – Lon'qu is already slain, having overextended to the rear; Say'ri was lost to a group of particularly nasty pegasus knights; and poor Henry was blindsided by a fellow dark mage.

As the army trudges ever closer to Grima's domain, the Risen become fiercer. Luckily for the army, Robin is taking every advantage he possibly can, rerouting each part of the army to a position that is favorable to their skills. The pegasus knights and wyvern lords are particularly useful in this regard. Sully and Stahl are dispatched from their guard position to fill the roles Lon'qu and Say'ri were presiding over, and Lissa volunteers to take Henry's place. The central entourage shrinks, but morale is still high. Casualties in this battle were inevitable, as much as Robin wished to deny it. But this battle was deciding the fate of the world, and the years to come – as they say, you can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs. But when the eggs are a friend's life, one will try to crack as few eggs as possible.

However, possibly the greatest win of all of this is Link's contributions – Link offered to take on the frontal force, with the strategy of "the best defense is a strong offense" being his preferred approach. Robin wasn't initially too keen on the idea, but opted to go with it, considering his comparatively little knowledge of Link's true skills. Link proves to be an incredible asset to the front line, dominating wave after wave of Risen with only a few scratches here and there. He truly is a legendary hero.

It's a long and hard battle, with foes falling into mountains of Risen corpses. Few members of Chrom's band are felled after the initial wave, though many of them are now fatigued. The hordes of Risen don't let up, and they still appear to be growing stronger.

Finally, the central entourage reaches Grima's lower neck.

"I'll keep you covered!" Link yells. "You guys focus on taking the dragon out!"

"Stay safe, Link!" Frederick says. "I, too, will cover you. I'll handle your right flank!"

"And I'll take the left," Lucina says. "Now quickly, you must change history!"

Grima turns his head around to face Robin and Chrom. To think that such a being can twist their neck in such a way as to look upon their own back is beyond comprehension, yet there it is in front of them.

"Robin… Return to me… Come… We are one… and the same…"

Robin is silent. He opens his tome to reveal a shroud of circular lights around him. He throws his arm in front of him.

"Thoron!" he yells. A beam of pure electric current rockets out from the frontmost circle of his shroud, nailing Grima in the face.

"You got him, Robin! Now it's my turn!" Chrom yells.

Chrom rips his Exalted Falchion from the ground and begins to run towards Grima's head.

"I've come to end you… Grima!"

"Arrogant mortal… I am the end!" Grima tilts his head backwards, evading Chrom's attack. He blows a dark purple mist from his mouth onto Chrom, visibly damaging him.

"Urgh…" Chrom moans.

"Chrom! Are you alright?" Robin asks. Chrom coughs.

"Link!" Lucina yells. "Do what you can to him! I'll cover you all!"

"Got it!" Link responds. He retreats from his current position and dashes towards Chrom and Robin.

"Arrogant mortal… you come from elsewhere… Your biology does not match anyone I've ever encountered… But this is of no consequence. I am Grima… I am despair!"

Link stows away his Wyrmslayer and unsheathes his Master Sword.

"Haaaaahhhhhhh…" Link prepares a blow on the dragon's head.

"Foolish mortal. Do you truly believe a piece of -"

Grima is cut off by the sword piercing his head. Grima makes a loud, roaring noise, leading all, including the Risen, to turn towards him. A glowing white light now shines from where the Master Sword made its incision. So it did still have some divine power left.

"Now, Chrom!" Link yells. "This is it! I've disabled him!"

"Got it!" Chrom yells. "Now, Robin! This is our chance! I'm going to finish it!"

"No…" Robin says.

"Robin?" Chrom asks. Robin opens his tome once again.

"Robin?! Wait, what…" Chrom trails off.

Suddenly, Grima has a fearful tone in his voice. "What… Are you doing?!"

Robin smiles. "Heh. For once, I'm glad you and I are the same." The circles appear around Robin once again.

"Now I can give my life to protect those I care for…" Robin says.

"You would… not dare!"

"Robin! What are you doing?!" Link yells from Grima's head. "Let Chrom finish this!"

"I would and I will," Robin continues, ignoring Link's words. "The evils you would visit on this world are unthinkable… In some way, I – we share the blame. It's only right we meet our end together!"

"NOOOOOO!" Grima screams.

"Robin, wait!" Link yells, but it's too late. He rips the Master Sword from Grima's head and vaults to the fell dragon's back.

"THORON!" Robin screams, piercing Grima's head through its center. The mighty dragon gives off a loud roar as it is defeated. The great dragon's head begins to disintegrate, and the dragon's back begins to appear the same. The Risen have all disappeared.

"Quickly, everyone! Onto a pegasus!" Zelda yells. Everyone but Chrom, Link, and Lucina rush to a pegasus.

Robin is lying on the ground. His body has begun to fade away, much like Grima's.

"You were Grima the whole time?" Link asks. "I had no clue…"

Chrom rushes over to Robin.

"Robin! No!"

Robin looks over to Chrom as he slowly fades out of existence.

"Thank you, Chrom. For… everything… Tell the others… my last thoughts were of them… and Link, I must truly thank you for all you have done. Without you… we might not have completed our mission. Thank you… may we all meet again… in a better life…" Robin's body fades completely, being returned fully to the aether.

"Robin, no!" Chrom cries. "Ah, gods! NO!"

"Father," Lucina says, "we have to leave, now!"

Chrom takes one look at where Robin used to be, but knows that Lucina is right. They must escape before they fall to deaths of their own. Robin wouldn't have wanted that.

"You're… you're right. Okay… let's go."

Grima's final cells disintegrate shortly after Chrom, Lucina, and Link reach the ground. The sky is still black from smoke and ash, but the violet lights above are nowhere to be seen.

The boat trip back to Ylisse is wrought with celebration – the four other ships are recounting their new tales of heroism while drinking to the world they have all assisted in saving. However, each boat has dealt with a loss today. Lon'qu, Say'ri, Henry, Maribelle, Stahl, and Cherche were all lost to Grima by the conclusion of the fighting. This bittersweet journey feels far longer than it should, and by the time everyone reaches Ylisse, no one wishes to celebrate any further.

Everyone returns to their rooms, and most fall asleep shortly after reaching the bed. Virion, Tharja, Ricken, Sully, and Cordelia mourn for their lost spouses tonight. Palutena finally feels the last of her magic leaving her body – she's fully mortal now. Pit and Dark Pit are beat from the long day of fighting, as are Zelda and Link.

Just as Link is about to go to sleep, he gets a knock on his door. When he answers it, he once again finds Zelda waiting there.

"Um… you look… well, not like you just killed a god," Zelda says.

"I did what I needed to," Link says. "I just wish we could have gotten through with no casualties."

"You barely look fazed."

"I put on a front," Link says. "When you have seen battle as much as I have, you get used to it."

"Well, that's just you then," Zelda replies. "I'm not sure if I can battle like that ever again. It's messing with me now."

"What part of it?" Link asks.

"The death and destruction… I saw people dying today. I watched as a Risen cut Maribelle's chest open…" Her eyes begin to tear up. "That isn't something I'll be able to un-see, Link. I… I'm not sure I can handle it. I…" Now she begins crying.

"Shh, shh shh… It's all going to be okay, Zelda. Listen… Maribelle was there to help others. She did everything she could. There's nothing you could have done."

"I could have killed that Risen that was going for her!" Zelda throws back. "If I had seen it in time…"

"There's no way you could have known that would happen," Link says. "You might have saved someone else's life in turn. That's the nature of battle, of warfare."

"I… I just don't think I'm cut out for it, Link," Zelda admits.

"It's… difficult, yes," Link says, "and not everyone is capable of handling it. You're a princess. It isn't in your nature to do things like this. This is… an unusual case. When's the last time a princess from another world came to Hyrule?"

Zelda sniffs. She's definitely crying heavy right now.

"True… can't say I've ever heard of that."

Suddenly, there's another knock on the door.

"Give me a second," Link says. "I'll see who it is."

When Link opens the door, he's greeted by Chrom.

"Link. Oh, hello Zelda," he says.

"Chrom," Link says, "how can we help you? It's pretty late…"

"I just wanted your help with something," he says, "but we won't do anything tonight. I've just… I've got this feeling."

"A feeling?" Zelda says.

"Yes," Chrom replies. "I… I think that Robin is alive somewhere. And I've got a good idea of where he would be."


	7. Chapter 5 - The Party Thickens

"You really think he's there?" Zelda asks. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure of it," Chrom says. "Robin and I were close as can be. If he was truly dead, I'd know."

"He… well, he seemed pretty dead to me," Link says. "To be fair, the past few days have been full of surprises. I think we should go looking."

"But why not go now?" Zelda asks. "We should all go as soon as we can."

"Yeah, Chrom," Lissa intrudes. "If he's there, then he's totally helpless right now!"

"Lissa!" Chrom exclaims. "Where did you come from!?"

"Does it matter?" she replies. "What DOES matter is that we go get Robin back! You know how much that will mean to Cordelia!"

"You can't argue that, Chrom," Zelda says. "If the same happened to Link, I'd want to see him alive and well, too."

"And wouldn't you want the same if it were Sumia?" Link asks, missing Zelda's remark entirely. "If she had done the same thing Robin had done, wouldn't you want to see her as soon as you could? Even at the smallest chance of her living?"

Chrom thinks a moment.

"You're all right. We should go now. Lissa, fetch Cordelia for me. I'll get a head start."

"I'll get right to it!" she says, before skipping off into the hallway.

"She's a peppy one," Zelda says.

"She's defensive if you say the wrong thing to her, though," Chrom says. "You don't want to be on her bad side. Anyway, I'll let you two get ready to head out. Just take some basic equipment, it isn't too far from Ylisstol. There'll be some towns we can stop in on the way if we need."

Chrom walks out of the room, and Zelda follows close behind. She closes the door behind her to let Link get ready.

The journey isn't a hard one. Ylisse is a fairly flat land in this region of it, much unlike the eastern area. Chrom, Lissa and Cordelia are all heading the group, with Link and Zelda hitching close behind. Within just a few hours, the group comes up on a shallow valley, and Chrom stops in his tracks.

"This is the place," he says, "but I don't see Robin anywhere."

"You haven't looked much yet, Chrom," Lissa says. "Don't you remember? He was off the beaten path when we first met him. It's dark out, so of course you can't see him already!"

"He was… just lying here?" Cordelia asks. "He never told me that was how you met…"

"What did he tell you?" Zelda asks.

"Um… well, to be frank, I never asked. I thought he'd known him for a long time…"

"No, he and I met probably a week before you joined our army," Chrom says. "He was clearly a skilled tactician, so I took him in to aid where I needed help the most. Besides, he was just lying there. Can't leave a man stranded in the middle of a plain."

The sun is just about to come up, but alas, no one is able to see Robin anywhere. It's been nearly a half hour since everyone began searching for him.

"Perhaps a larger search party is in order," Cordelia says. "I thought I might be able to find him myself."

As soon as the sun rises, Zelda spots a glint in the grass.

"Over there!" she yells. "I spotted something!"

Everyone runs to where Zelda was pointing. Lo and behold, a white-haired man in a dark-purple cloak is lying in the grass, the golden buckles shining in the morning sunlight. It's Robin. He appears to be shifting slightly, as if in a not-so-deep sleep.

"We found him!" Zelda says happily. "But what do we do?"

"I'm not really sure," Chrom says. "This is pretty much how we found him before, but…"

"Chrom, we have to do SOMETHING," Lissa says.

"Well, what do you propose we do?" he asks.

"I… I dunno…" she replies. Robin's eyes bolt open.

"I see you're awake now!" Chrom says.

"Hey there!" Lissa says.

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know. Take my hand." Chrom holds his hand out to Robin, who seems to be in a bit of a daze. Not terribly surprising, considering he had just been asleep for who knows how long.

Robin takes Chrom's hand and stands up. Seeing the distress in Robin's eyes, Chrom says exactly what he needs to hear:

"Welcome back. It's over now."

"Is… is this…?" Robin stutters.

"Yes, it's exactly where we found you before," Chrom replies. "I just had a funny feeling we'd find you here."

"Oh, Robin!" Cordelia says, throwing herself into his arms.

"Cordelia!" Robin says, filled with glee. "I… I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again!"

Cordelia pulls back suddenly and gives Robin a right slap in the face.

"OW!" Robin exclaims. "Wh… what was that for!?"

"You literally killed yourself! What more could a wife NOT slap you for!?" Cordelia snaps back.

"I did… what was right for the world. I'm… sorry, Cordelia. And to you all. I know it wasn't what we wanted to happen."

Cordelia's eyes fill with tears. She rushes back into his arms.

"I'm… I'm just glad you're safe, Robin. Don't ever do that again."

"You don't need to worry, dear," Robin says. "I won't ever do that again."

"Um… not to interrupt this wonderful moment, but shouldn't we try to head back to Ylisstol, or a safer place to talk about what to do next?" Zelda asks.

Robin looks to Link and Zelda and is visibly distraught by the sight of them.

"Oh… I almost forgot. I almost forgot about the outworlders!" he cries. "Oh, this is bad… Chrom, we really do need to address this."

"Well, let's get back to Ylisstol first. We have many intelligent minds there as well. We can figure it out with their help too," Chrom says. "Not to mention some of the other outworlders."

"Agreed. We must head out as soon as possible," Robin says. "This is dire."

It's now late morning in Ylisstol, and the markets are bustling. Citizens from all across town gawk at both native products and the otherworldly specimens wandering their street. Link and Zelda, despite becoming famous icons in Hyrule shortly after the Ganondorf conflict began, feel singled out and awkward in this strange, seemingly race-less world. Everyone looked like a Hylian, but with rounded ears, matching those of Chrom, Robin and the others. The only exception either of them saw were Panne and Nowi in Chrom's army, with ears like that of a Blupee and a Hylian's, respectively.

Finally, the group steps into the castle. Chrom's army, upon seeing Robin, crowds around him, pushing Link and Zelda away in attempts to greet him. It isn't too surprising, considering he was one of the army's most important leadership, and with him back, many logistical problems are sure to solve themselves. But most importantly, Robin was one of the most-liked members overall in the army, and was a close friend with each and every one of them. To have such a man return from the dead is a wondrous occasion.

"Now, now, everyone, I'm glad to be back, too!" Robin says. "But we have some important matters to discuss!"

"What sort of matters, Robin?" Miriel asks. "Some sort of study? Or perhaps you've learned something in your absence?"

"You're… actually, not far off the mark, Miriel," Robin replies. He points to Link and Zelda.

"These two are from another world, as are our other new friends Palutena, Pit, and Dark Pit. You all know this, yes?"

A group of nods and scattered confirmations dot the army.

"I knew of their arrival because of a magical disturbance in the eastern region of Ylisse," Robin says, "and they confirmed my suspicions. They entered through a portal that appeared near, I believe, the Table. You know, where Chrom got the Falchion upgraded to seal Grima away?"

"Yes, Robin, but what is so pressing about it that you just learned about?" Chrom asks. "You did say it was dire."

"During my slumber, I saw a new dark force, and it was coming from that same region. While I couldn't see exactly what was causing it, I did see it slipping slowly into our world. Not enough to construct a physical form or anything, perhaps just a magic leak, but something dark was seeping through that portal."

"A new dark force?" Zelda asks. "Could it be Ganon?" she asks Link.

"Hm… that's definitely possible," Link says. "But it could also be this Hades character Pit and the others talk about."

"Ganon? Hades?" Lucina asks. "Can't say I've ever heard of them. Do they come from your world?"

"We come from a land called Hyrule, and Ganon hails from there," Zelda says. "The first time we heard of Hades was when we first travelled to Palutena's world."

"That's correct," Palutena says, walking into the room. "I may not be at my usual strength, but I sensed this too, Robin. That wasn't Hades' signature, but it was dark and menacing."

"I'm in agreement there," Robin says. "I can't say how powerful it is compared to Grima, but it is no pushover."

"I say we head over to the portal ourselves," Chrom says. "We must investigate."

"Hold on," Palutena says. "These portals are selective. They don't allow everyone to pass through, only a select few."

"Yes," Zelda continues. "My mentor, Impa, attempted to enter the portal herself, but she was rejected."

"The same occurred to a colleague of mine, Viridi," Palutena says. "And she's a goddess, so these portals are extremely well-built."

"If I had to venture a guess," Link says, "I think that Chrom, Robin, and Lucina would be accepted by the portal. Other than them, I don't think anyone else will be able to go."

"And just why is that?" Frederick asks. "Why those three and no one else? What of Lissa? Or myself? Or any other members of the army?"

"Chrom is the lord of this land, Robin is a linchpin to the entire world's destiny, and Lucina… well, time travel changes things, doesn't it? So…"

"Just that makes her more qualified than anyone else?" Frederick asks.

"That's significant, so I added her into the list," Link says. "Is that a good enough answer for you, Frederick?"

"But why only three? At least Lissa—"

"So far, we've only seen a portal allow a maximum of three people enter," Palutena says. "So he is being conservative with his assumptions. I agree with his assessment – I believe you three to be the most integral parts of this world, so the portal would likely choose you."

"Then… the rest of you can choose whether you wish to come," Chrom says. "The three of us are on a mandatory trip. We leave in an hour. This is… well, this is new, isn't it?"

The new escort detail is on its way to The Table, located on the eastern coast of Ylisse. Included are what Pit has christened "The All-Stars," made up of himself, Dark Pit, Palutena, Link, Zelda, Chrom, Robin, and Lucina. They are accompanied by Cordelia and Sumia, emotional support for their husbands; Frederick, who is still paranoid about the safety of his lord; Lissa, as she couldn't stand to stick around the castle all day; Tharja, who after the death of her husband, now stalks Robin once again; Miriel, on account of finding this portal to be a fascinating new discovery she can study; and finally, Stahl and Sully, offering to keep the front and rear guarded for the sake of everyone on the trip.

Luckily, no bandits attack them, so no action is required on this journey.

Upon scaling the mountain, the group is confronted with the portal.

"Doesn't that… look bigger than it did before?" Pit asks.

"It kind of does," Link says. "It was probably only about six feet tall or so last we saw it. But now…"

"Now it's at least eight or nine," Zelda says. "It's almost an entire story tall. It looks a lot like your typical doorway now."

"Fascinating," Miriel says. "So in the week since you arrived, it's already increased by 33 percent?"

"Seems that way," Dark Pit says. "I can't imagine what could cause that, though."

"Do you think that dark force had something to do with it?" Lucina asks.

"I wonder…" Zelda says.

"What is it, Zelda?" Chrom asks.

"Robin, you said that the dark force was seeping through the portal when you saw it, yes?"

"Yes, that's what I saw," Robin says.

"Same here," Palutena says, "that's what I saw, too."

"Perhaps it wasn't leaking, but specifically targeting the portal…"

"How do you mean?" Pit asks. "Why would the dark power want to target the portal?"

"Grima…" Robin says.

"Grima? What's Grima got to do with it?" Pit asks.

"I see," Link says, "Grima is your Ganon, your Hades. They're looking for villains. For monsters!"

"But why?" Palutena asks. "Ganon and Hades were fine on their own. They had the upper hand, and so did Grima. Why would any of them reach out to find other villains? Other people of tremendous dark power and influence?"

"Look at it this way," Robin interrupts. "The portal must have grown for a reason. If that reason was Grima, then he must have had something they wanted. But what could Grima have offered them that they didn't already possess themselves? What is their ultimate goal?"

"There's tons of portals where we came from," Pit says. "Tons. Link and Zelda came from one, but there's dozens of them. Yours is only one of the first we've tried."

"We can't even begin to piece it all together yet," Zelda says. "We just… don't know much about what's really going on."

"Okay," Robin says, "Then I must see this for myself. Show me this world of yours."

Robin walks over to the portal.

"I'm going in. Cordelia, if I don't see you come through, I want you to know that I love you with all my heart. I will come back in one piece."

"Robin… I love you too," she replies. "And you better! Let me come over and try with you."

The two interlock hands and step towards the portal… Robin gets through with no troubles, but Cordelia is smacked with the red ring, causing her to fall backwards.

"Cordelia!?" Robin's voice echoes through the portal.

"I'm okay, Robin!" she says. "I… The portal just doesn't want me."

"We will go through next," Link says, grabbing Zelda's hand. "We'll see you on the other side."

Link and Zelda step through the portal with no problems. Pit, Dark Pit, and Palutena follow closely behind, with Chrom and Lucina stepping through – and no one else.

"About time you fuckers showed up," says a mysterious new figure.

"PALUTENA!" Viridi yells, running up to her. "We have a guest!"

"Um… why is he pointing something at me?" Palutena asks.

"Oh, that's how she greets someone she doesn't know!"

"Sh…she?" Zelda asks.

"What, a girl can't wear a badass mech suit and kick some ass while looking awesome as shit? What is this, the middle ages?"

"Gods, this language… I've never…" Chrom says.

"Oh… shit, this is the middle ages, isn't it? Well… you don't look like a threat. And Viridi is okay with you, so I'll let this slide. Don't sneak up on me like that again, you hear?"

Everyone is visibly shaken. She means business. She takes off her orange helmet to reveal a slim-faced head with blonde hair put up in a ponytail.

"Wh…What's your name?" Link asks.

"Pshh, don't look so scared, you look like you're gonna piss your pants. The name's Samus. And you've all just wasted a fuck-ton of my time."


	8. Chapter 6 - The Pirate Commander

"Samus?" Zelda says. "That's your name?"

"No shit, Sherlock," Samus replies. "Now don't ask me again. I'm tired of this. When're we heading out?"

"For my sake, Samus, would you just calm down?" Viridi asks. "She's been like this ever since I stopped her. She came waltzing through that portal over there" – Viridi points at a portal with a lightning bolt=S-like shape over it, surrounded by some sort of circle – "and the first thing she did was point something at me."

"That's my arm cannon, missy," Samus says. "It would've burned you alive if I'd used it. You ought to be thanking Christ you aren't dead."

"Are you… always like this?" Chrom asks.

"Only when there's a problem and red tape gets in the way. And you're all just a fuck-ton of red tape right now. I'm on a mission and you're all stopping me from doing it!"

"When she first came through, she was a lot calmer," Viridi says. "But as time's been going on… well, her mouth hasn't exactly been the cleanest."

"I can't say I've ever heard of such a… wide vocabulary in someone before," Palutena says. "At least, not one that would use those… terms… uh, what's the opposite of sparingly, Pit?"

"I think you mean liberally," Pit says. "And I have to agree!"

"You ALWAYS agree with her, Pit," Dark Pit says. "Of course you agree now."

"Samus, your armor… it looks much different compared to anything I've ever seen," Zelda says. "What kind of world do you come from?"

"Ugh, finally, some real questions," Samus says. "Look. What you need to know is that where I come from, there's a gang of Space Pirates headed by a monster known as Ridley. Take him out, and we can all be hunky-dory or whatever the phrase is. Capiche?"

"Looks like we don't have much choice," Robin says. "Samus is clearly highly skilled and sporting some… very otherworldly gear. Her help would be an enormous help to us."

"Do you know where we can find Ridley?" Link asks.

"Unfortunately, thanks to twinkle toes over here, I lost track of him. I doubt he'd have returned to my world… So one of these other portals would likely be our best bet," Samus says. "I'll scout around a little bit, but we'll likely need to handle this through trial and error."

"If I might, Samus," Lucina asks, "Why are you so hell-bent on taking Ridley down?"

"Let me put it this way, princess," Samus responds, "Ridley is a Space Pirate, and their leader at that. He is feral, takes what he wants and kills who he wants. He isn't picky. I've even seen him take out some Space Pirates to get at me. If he's released into another world…"

"Sounds like you've filled her in, Viridi," Palutena says.

"Oh, she filled me in alright. Little too much, if you ask me…" Samus grumbles.

"Well, I can't imagine he'd have escaped to where we came from," Robin says. "We'd have seen him travel through the portal at some point, especially if he's as vicious as you describe."

"Viridi, didn't you see where the monster went?" Pit asks. "You were here the whole time. Do you have any ideas?"

"Er… no, I was too freaked out by it at first," Viridi says. "But when Samus came through the portal, he was already gone. He was on the other side of the central crystal, though. Beyond that I don't know specifics."

"I was unable to see Ridley either when he travelled through a portal," Samus says.

"Okay… Let's retrace our steps, then," Zelda says. "Samus, Viridi, go to the exact spots where you were when Ridley escaped our little hub."

Samus and Viridi carefully scope out their positions. Viridi was roughly four portals to the left of Hyrule's entrance, and Samus was about twenty feet from the entrance to her world.

"Okay, now let's check their lines of sight," Zelda says. "We can find what portals he may have escaped to."

"Pit, you get an overhead view to clear this up," Palutena says. "I'll activate the power of flight." Pit's wings begin to glow a bright orange color.

"Yeehaaaw!" Pit yells as he ascends.

"Gods, does he do that every time!?" Lucina asks.

"Just about," Dark Pit says.

"How annoying," Samus says. "Now I really don't want to travel with you losers."

"Join the club," Dark Pit says.

"Lady Palutena! Um… looking at it from up here, I can only see three portals that might be our targets!"

"Okay, Pit! Which ones are they?"

"Um… well, I can only tell what one of them is supposed to be!" Pit says. "The other two look like they're just a bunch of… well, weird shapes!"

"Why don't you point them out to us, Pit?" Zelda asks. "That'll be more helpful, I think."

Upon reaching the three portals Pit specifies, the group can see exactly what he means. The central portal is completely impossible to understand what it's supposed to be: it almost looks like it's cut off on all four sides in a square-like shape; and in the center, there's a circular hole in the shape. Other than that, the shape is indistinguishable from complete and utter nonsense. To the right is a portal with a cartoonish-looking mushroom on it. That must be what Pit was capable of recognizing. The portal to the left of center has another icon that is difficult to understand, but one can surmise it looks almost like the profile of a winged beast.

"It has to be one of these three?" Zelda asks.

"Yup, unless Viridi and Samus are wrong, which I doubt is the case," Pit says, "seeing as one is a goddess and the other is a terrifyingly-skilled warrior!"

"Should we split up?" Chrom asks. "We should be able to find him quicker if we split up."

"That isn't such a good idea," Samus says. "Listen up. Ridley would tear you to shreds if I wasn't by your side. You need my expertise with this asshole."

"But how will we know if Ridley decides to leave one world and go to another?" Link asks.

"I think I have the answer to that," Viridi replies. "While you were gone, I created this little device –" she hands a small trinket to Palutena – " that will allow me to communicate with you. It'll be like I never left your side!" She strikes a pose with her right arm on her hip and her left hand up to her face, with her index and middle fingers making a "two-like" symbol over her eye. She winks.

"But how can we know this will work between worlds?" Zelda asks. "We lost all access to our powers while we travelled through Ylisse and the rest of Chrom's world. Will this still work?"

"Ah, you lost your inherent powers," Robin says, "but Link's Master Sword retained some of its magical properties, did it not?"

Zelda glances at Link.

"Didn't we say that the sword had lost its magic the night before?" she asks.

"Hey, I'm not an expert in magic, that's you," Link says. "And you never took a look at it yourself. Besides, it all worked in the end, didn't it?"

Robin interjects the bickering before it gets nasty.

"It appears that inherent magical prowess and abilities become null and void as time moves along when in another world. But this same property seems to not apply to artifacts…"

"But what might cause that difference?" Zelda asks. "You'd think, since living beings are what harness magic in most instances and can even generate it sometimes, it'd be the other way around…"

"Ah, but that may only apply to Hyrule," Chrom says to Robin's surprise. "See, in our world, magic is typically only possible using such artifacts."

"He's right," Robin says. "I can't use magic without my Tomes or my Levin Sword. That's where all the magic comes from. However, my prowess with using such powers may dwindle over time…"

"So all of your worlds actually have magic?" Samus asks. "I thought magic was just some child's fairy tale!"

"Your armor isn't powered by some sort of magic?" Zelda asks.

"Hell no, it isn't! In my world, we don't believe in magic. This is highly-advanced technology. Chozo, to be exact."

"Technology? So it'd be like the Guardian tech we started finding back in Hyrule," Link says. "Isn't that the same concept?"

"Hey, I think you're right," Zelda says. "My magical abilities are nearly zero at this point, but even now I can get magic readings off of Robin, Palutena, and Viridi. But she's giving off no magical signals."

"Alright, enough with the chit-chat," Samus says. "We gotta figure out what our plan is. Ridley is still out there somewhere, and the sooner we find him, the better."

"If magic doesn't exist in your world, then the idea of pure evil probably isn't a tangible thing, is it?" Link asks. "The Master Sword wouldn't be much help against him…"

"Wind magic from our world typically works well on flying opponents, but whether or not that would apply to another world's creature is unknown," Robin says. "It's our best bet on our end."

"And Falchion is built to fell dragons, but is Ridley even a dragon?" Chrom asks.

"Guys, chill out," Samus says. "I just need you to help me find him. I can take him myself. I've done it before. After I catch him, we can discuss things further."

"In that case, shouldn't we just split up and meet back here at a certain time?" Palutena asks.

"Here," Viridi says, "I just whipped up a few more of these little guys. I can talk to any one of you, and you can talk to me. If one of you finds him, I can let Samus know!"

"Sounds good to me," Palutena says. "Well, there's nine of us that can travel through worlds. Should we split up into groups of three?"

"Whatever gets us going faster," Samus says.

"Pit, Dark Pit, with me," Palutena says. "We'll go through this one."

"Palutena!" Viridi calls. "Keep me in the loop! We need to find this guy!"

"Okay, okay, Viridi!" Palutena responds. "I will!"

Pit, Dark Pit, and Palutena all step through the portal with the supposedly-winged-beast.

"We shall take the center portal then, whatever that one is," Chrom says.

"That's the one that piqued my interest," Robin says.

"I agree," Lucina says. "That one's really got me interested now."

"Robin, let me know if you find him!" Viridi reminds.

"Will do, Miss Viridi!" Robin replies. The trio enters the center portal.

"I guess that just leaves us," Zelda says.

"Great. You're the ones I think I'll be able to handle," Samus replies. "You at least have a decent handle on what a 'technology' even is."

"I'm going to decide to ignore that," Link whispers to Zelda.

"Let's get going then," Samus says. "Ridley isn't going to wait for us."

The three step into the portal with the cartoonish-mushroom icon floating above it to find no solid ground.

The three enter into freefall, and at first, no one is sure what even happens.

Unfortunately for them, the three can see the ground – drab, gray – and approaching fast.

AUTHOR'S NOTE -

Thank you everyone for the constant support!

This note will be active until 10-06-2018.

I apologize for taking so long for such a short chapter. I just moved into my college dorm two weeks ago yesterday, and I've just felt totally swamped. Homework is abundant and all. But that isn't going to stop me from delivering this content to you guys! I can tell you enjoy it, so I don't want to let you down!

I was overjoyed to see how much you all hated the initial portrayal of Samus Aran. Yes, it was totally intentional – just bear with it for now. I wanted to get a new take on the character that I hadn't seen much of, and to get to where I want her to be, it's necessary to have her start off as her stereotypical crass, crude, overly-elitist self that you've all grown to know from conditioning. But yes, this is planned – I'm planning on subverting this eventually, just hang tight for a while! Just wanted to clear that up as it was by far the greatest criticism I got, and of course, the work as a whole is unfinished.

At the moment, I think I'm going to plan for a weekly release schedule – you'll get new chapters from me either late Friday nights or very early Saturday mornings. I don't want to overcomplicate my schedule, so I think weekly will work from here on. If I run into extra time, I might be able to post something for you all on a non-scheduled night, but no promises! Weekly is my goal!

Once again, thanks for reading so far! I've received a ton of support and critiques that I have taken to heart, keep them coming! And you know who you are, certain character names may not be exactly what you think they might be, or a play on them will be present. Again, I have a plan, but you did influence it a bit!

Stay classy, fanfiction!


	9. Chapter 7 - The Bustling Cityscape

"What is happening!?" Zelda screeches as the trio falls from the sky. Samus looks above them.

"The portal! It was up in the sky of this planet!" she yells.

"Um, what do you propose we do?" Zelda says.

"We're already approaching terminal velocity," Samus says. "It'll take a bit to slow us down, but I think I can do it!"

"What's a terminal velocity?" Link and Zelda ask simultaneously.

"Just hold on a goddamn minute, I'm trying to work a miracle here!" Samus yells, fiddling with settings on her suit. "Okay! Try to make your way over to me!"

Zelda and Link slowly drift toward Samus. As they get close enough, the two wrap themselves around her legs.

"Alright, you two," Samus says, "get ready for a pretty bumpy brake!"

Suddenly, the three begin to slow down. It's a pretty sudden sensation – Link and Zelda almost lose their grips on Samus. Link looks behind Samus to find her back ablaze.

"Samus! Your back is on fire!" Link exclaims.

"Of course it is, idiot! That's how I'm slowing us down!"

"I'll assume it's like Din's Fire, Link," Zelda says. "It's a controlled burn, isn't it, Samus?"

"For a magic type, you seem to have a decent idea of how this works," Samus says. "I can respect that."

The three begin to slow down much more as the ground begins to come into reach. Samus lands softly, and Link and Zelda kiss the terra firma.

"Now, where are we?" Samus asks, surveying the surrounding area. A gray cityscape rises up far above her figure, and one massive building penetrates high into the sky, nearly a fifth as high as the portal itself. Despite the overwhelmingly gray color of the buildings, there's plenty of neon and brightly-lit signs and billboards to keep it lively. A large group of people have gathered in the square where the three landed.

"How can you act as though that was nothing?" Link asks.

"Because to me, it really is," Samus says. "Seriously, I've done that exact thing many times."

The gathering of people have been murmuring for a while now. It's almost as if they've seen a ghost, or that aliens have come to raid their planet of its resources.

Oh. Right.

"Listen up, everyone, nothing to fear here," Samus says, removing her helmet. "I'm human, just like the rest of you."

"Yeah, but what about them?" a voice in the crowd asks. Suddenly, many voices start to spring questions, all aimed at Link and Zelda. "What's with their ears?" "They wear weird clothes…" "Where did they come from?"

"Listen, everyone, they're with me," Samus says. "They're good. You don't need to worry."

"Do you know these people, Samus?" Zelda asks.

"No, but someone had to vouch for you," Samus says. "And these are the easily-frightened type. We don't want public uproar. I don't care what planet or whatever you come from, public uproar is a recipe for disaster."

"Excuse me," a female voice calls from the crowd. The crowd parts to reveal a woman wearing a suit and skirt combo and a bowed hat. "Might you… inform us what exactly has happened?"

"Who might you be, if you don't mind me asking?" Zelda asks. The woman gives her a quick glance before looking back to Samus.

"I am the mayor of this fine city. If you would like to speak in private first, I may oblige."

"Yes, that will work best for us," Samus says, glancing down at Link and Zelda. "A private meeting sounds good to me."

"Very well," the woman says. "Attention, everyone. I will have a discussion with… these new guests. There's nothing to see here. Move along." The crowd begins to disband. Some are skeptical and stick around for a few seconds, but quickly decide it's nothing and walk away.

"Shall we meet in my office? It's on the top floor of New Donk City Hall."

"New Donk City?" Zelda inquires.

"Well… yes! Did you not know where you were?" the woman asks.

"Um… no?" Link says. "We had no clue."

"Oh… gosh, well, then we have lots of catching up to do," the woman says.

New Donk City Hall is super tall. Like, really tall. It's tons of floors high, and the woman's office is all the way at the top. Luckily, there's an elevator that goes all the way up to the top floor of the building. Upon reaching it, the group is led down a hallway to its end. At said end is a door with a plaque that says: "Pauline, New Donk City Mayor".

"Pauline?" Zelda says, "So that's your name?"

"Oh, I hadn't given it to you already?" the woman asks. "Yes, it's Pauline. Mayor Pauline, of course."

"Okay… Pauline, I'm going to get right to the point," Samus says. "Have you seen a giant purple dragon emerge from that portal in the sky?"

"That's… an oddly specific question," Pauline says. "And no, I don't believe I have seen one. None of our residents have either, to my knowledge."

"Damn," Samus mutters aloud.

"So we came here for nothing?" Zelda asks. "That was our entire mission."

There's an awkward silence as everyone ponders their next move. The portal isn't exactly easy to reach – it's floating over a thousand feet in the air. As far as most people know, flight at that level isn't easily attainable in this universe.

"Hm…" Pauline thinks aloud. "I have an idea."

"An idea?" Zelda inquires. "What is it?"

"You're from another world, right? Is that what that portal is about?"

The trio nods in agreement.

"Then perhaps you've never heard of someone named Mario. He's the famed hero in our world."

"Mario? Can't say I've heard of him," Samus says.

"Neither can I," Zelda says. "Is this Mario… well, is he available?"

"Well, no… If he were still here, he'd know what to do, is all. We haven't heard from Mario in… gosh, it's been over a decade now. He was solving the world's problems left and right, then just… poof. Nobody really knows what happened to him. Of course, the Mushroom Kingdom across the ocean was a disaster for a while after then. Come to think of it, that's when Princess Daisy came into power over there."

"You mean he isn't here anymore?" Zelda asks.

"Not here. He's out there," says a voice in the back of the office. The four turn to the back to find the owner. A tall, silvery-blonde woman with stark blue eyes and a flowing, teal dress floats near the door. She wears a silver crown with red and blue jewels located in various places on said crown and wields a wand with a star at its tip. Samus points her arm cannon at the woman.

"Who are you?" Pauline asks. "And… and how did you get into my office?!"

"Mario is not here. He lies… elsewhere. If you wish to find-"

"Answer the question, woman," Samus interrupts. "Who are you? Answer!" Out of the blue, a star-shaped creature appears and float near Samus. Link and Zelda watch as Samus visibly shakes uncontrollably, presumably by this creature's interference. "What's… What's happening…? I can't… move…"

"Hush, Samus," the woman says, clearly causing Samus that much more discomfort. "We have work to do. Put your arm cannon down and we can discuss business."

After a moment, Samus ceases to resist, and the star-shaped creature backs away from her.

"What do you know of Mario?" Pauline asks.

"Mario…" a look of sorrow makes a fleeting dash across the woman's eyes. "Mario is… gone. He's never coming back."

"You mean…" Zelda says.

"Yes," the woman finishes, "Mario is dead." A long silence permeates the room.

"He… he can't be," Pauline says. "He's always vanquished every challenge he's ever faced!"

"All it takes is one challenge to end your perfect run," Samus interjects. "Something gets everyone eventually." Samus turns to the woman. "Now, I didn't know this Mario fellow, but if he's dead, what's it matter?"

Pauline is the one to speak up. "Mario is the one solely responsible for the defeat of Bowser. Every time the tyrant has arisen from whatever pit he rests in, Mario defeats him and returns him to his rightful home in Bowser's Kingdom. Without Mario, Bowser's free to do whatever he wants…"

"I see," Zelda says. "It's like if Link were to die in our world."

"Hey!" Link exclaims. "I'm standing right here!"

"Take the compliment," Zelda says, "without you, Hyrule would fall apart, and you know it."

"You'd run it just fine on your own and you know it!" Link responds. "I was only there to stop Ganondorf from taking over!"

"Hey, lovebirds, shove it for a moment, will ya?" Samus asks Link and Zelda, who promptly shut their mouths. "Anyway-"

"Pauline," the woman says, "I think you may be interested in some very valuable information regarding Mario's disappearance. Do you recall the last time Bowser assaulted the Metro Kingdom? How about the Mushroom Kingdom? Or Sarasaland? Anywhere on this blue marble?"

"Well, sure I do. It was… it was…" Pauline takes a moment, face blank, until suddenly a look of realization takes over. "It's been over ten years now!"

"Wait, you mean when Mario disappeared?" Zelda asks.

"That's right," the woman says. "Mario's last adventure. Bowser's plans before that point had always been big – kidnap Princess Peach and take over the Mushroom Kingdom, or hijack Isle Delfino for his own dastardly ends, or just terrorize various kingdoms over food and resource disputes that really shouldn't have been an issue for him. But that last venture, thirteen years ago… That was his master plan. He was done with this world, this planet. He wanted to go to the stars."

"The stars? You mean space?" Samus asks. "But why would he do that? There's nothing out there except for space pirates and empty planets!"

"That's your universe," the woman says. "But our universe is full of unique creatures and environments that only children could dream of. There's places that resemble beaches, but the water is kept in a gravitational bowl. There's other places where stars begin to merge, burning the asteroids between them alive. Still other places have gravitational pulls that should, by all accounts, defy the laws of physics itself. And yet, there it is. Mario was there for all of that. He travelled from galaxy to galaxy, spanning hundreds of thousands of light years just to save his special one. But the dark side of the story that few people of this world know is what Bowser actually planned to do. He wanted the rule the entire universe."

"Rule the universe?" Zelda asks. "You're joking, right? I can barely handle a single kingdom. How can someone want to rule an entire universe?"

"Power does strange things to people," Samus says.

"Indeed it does," the woman continues, "and that's how Mario met his end. He became confident over the years, perhaps too confident. He became arrogant and self-righteous, believing he was capable of anything. But as Samus said, it only takes one challenge to stamp your ticket, and Mario's ticket was stamped just before he could challenge Bowser. Even a single jump can lead to a cold, dark, infinite abyss from which you'll never escape."

"I… I can't believe it," Pauline says. "That's terrible that it happened to him like that. But… at the end of the day, we need to press on with the now. That was thirteen years ago. You're saying that Bowser's still out there?" Pauline asks. "Why haven't we noticed this at all?"

"Bowser's not all=evil, you know," the woman says. "Deep down, he's a good guy who cares for those he rules over. But that doesn't mean his lust for power doesn't overtake him sometimes. His son is known for that same issue… Coincidentally, his son was also a part of that operation. In any case, just because he wanted to rule the universe doesn't mean he was going to rule it poorly."

"Also, just as a side note," Samus interrupts, "I highly doubt that in a universe like yours that has limited space travel that universal power really means much at the planetary level and especially the kingdom level."

"Right," Pauline says. "But… something is still bothering me. Well, two things." She looks at the woman. "For one, we still don't know your name. But more importantly, why are you here? Why did you tell us all of this?"

The woman fidgets in the air for a moment. "My name is Rosalina. I am the protector of the cosmos and of the Luma people. Normally, I wouldn't have made an appearance at this specific time or hour; my due time to pass by this planet is still eighty-seven years away. But Bowser is about to be confronted with a choice, and it's a choice he will make wrong if we don't intervene."

"What choice is that?" Zelda asks.

"Whether to remain ruler of this universe…" Rosalina looks down toward the ground. "Or to join Ridley in whatever dastardly plot he has brought to our world."


End file.
